AN EXCELLENT team spirit can propel Yate Town into the play-off places by the end of the season, according to manager Rob Cousins.

The Bluebells moved up to eighth in Southern League Division One South and West after beating Bridgwater Town 3-1 last Saturday, three points off the top five after 16 games.

Cousins made no attempt to play down the significance of the win in Yate’s first game since the departure of star striker Lewis Haldane and after a run of eight defeats in 11 matches, insisting he has a close-knit group that can push for honours.

He said: “Questions would have been asked but they’ve been answered I think.

“There’s proof in the pudding that if you get all 11, 12, 13 or 14 players involved giving their all you’ve got more of a chance straight away, you can’t afford to carry anybody.

“It pushes us up the table and we’re still in amongst it.

“We’ve got a good team spirit in that dressing room, regardless of what’s gone on in recent weeks.

“If we can get a good run going and show the effort, hunger and desire we showed on Saturday without a Lewis Haldane then we’re a match for anybody but we’ve got to do it every game, we can’t just go through the motions.

“It’s a tight league. It’s only their (Bridgwater’s) second defeat away from home so it shows how good we were.”

Yate’s next two league games are against teams in the bottom four with Saturday’s trip to a Bashley side yet to win at home followed by the visit of Fleet Town to Lodge Road a week later, but Cousins has warned his side not to take them for granted.

“The bottom sides will be fighting and sometimes they can bring you down to their level but we’ve got to apply ourselves like we have done in the last two or three games to give ourselves a chance,” he said.

“It’s an opportunity to get points on the board and get back up the table, which is where we want to be, but the season’s not won in October or November.

“We want to make sure we’re there come April time and certainly going into the New Year be in a position where we can put together a run so that we can ultimately get in the play-offs.

“That’s what the players are here for and as a management team that’s what we’re here for.”

Cousins hailed his back three as “outstanding” against Bridgwater but some of the gloss was taken off the win when Tom Warren was shown a red card in injury time for retaliating to a head-butt by ex-Yate striker Tom Knighton.

He said: “It was a bit naughty by Tom Knighton, not Tom Warren, in my eyes but then they (Bridgwater) were niggly all game and had far more bookings than we did.

“I’m disappointed with the unnecessary booking we got (for Jordan Rogers) which I don’t think we deserved and obviously Tom reacting and being seen to be throwing a punch when he actually pushed him away because his head was in his face.”

Bradley Abraham should be fit for the weekend after the leg injury that caused him to be stretchered off against Bridgwater was not as serious as first feared.

Yate visit Forest Green in the GFA Senior Challenge Cup on Monday (7.45pm).