Confidence comes flooding back after Blues brush aside Virginia Water

Burnham brushed aside Virginia Water 4-1 at The Gore on Saturday and new manager Manny Williams (right) feels like the confidence is flooding back into his players as they seek to turn around what’s been a disappointing start to the campaign.

The Blues have leapt to 14th in the Combined Counties Premier Division North after successive victories over Holyport and Virginia Water and the side looks transformed from the one which went on a run of six matches without a victory in all competitions.

Saturday's comprehensive win was only their third in 14 league matches this season and, although Williams feels the side were unlucky on occasions this season, he says the players are now starting to get the rewards for their extra efforts in training and matches.

He also has high standards for the players which he hopes they can get to.

“The difference over the past three or four weeks is the confidence that the boys seem to be gaining,” he said.

“The back-to-back wins have helped with that immensely, but even prior to that, over the last four games, we’ve been playing well.

“We're working just that little bit harder for each other the results seem to be coming along with the performances.

“I'm over the moon with the back-to-back results and we're slowly creeping up the table as well.

“They (Virginia) scored really late on which I wasn't happy with because it's all about game management.”

Beating the teams in and around you in the table is a sure-fire way to get out of a relegation fight, and Burnham have been doing that in recent weeks. On Saturday they host the side just below them in the standings, 15th placed Tadley Calleva who come into the clash off the back of a 3-0 win over bottom club Holyport.

“Before the Reading City game (which the Blues lost 30), I set the team a target of a certain number of points by the end of November, and fair play to everyone, we’re back on track for the target I set for them. Hopefully, against Tadley we can gain another three points, it’s a six-pointer match, and it would be a crucial win.”