YATE TOWN manager Paul Britton will hope to lead his side out at Barnstaple on Saturday, weather permitting, to kick-start their Evo-Stik Southern, West season saying: “We are not far away from being a good side.”

Britton is over the moon with the Bluebells despite them only getting two points from a possible 12 during February.

After a glorious January which returned three wins from four league matches, a terrible 6-2 loss away at Salisbury and a tough 2-0 defeat at home to runaway leaders Taunton Town was followed by draws with Shortwood United and last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to tough Didcot Town.

Now Yate have the chance to look at the play-offs this March, being, as they are, just seven points off the top six.

Britton praised Yate’s efforts against Didcot, saying: “We played so well for 45 minutes on Saturday. It’s not far off the best we have played since I have been at the club.

“We played some terrific football and dominated a team which have beaten Salisbury and Bristol Manor Farm.

“But we allowed them back into it. However, there are lots of positives to take from the game.

“The fact that we created so many opportunities and the style that we played. The pitch (at their Lodge Road home stadium) is so flat for this time of year, it is allowing us to play good football.”

Yate have won 11 of their thirty league games, and were unbeaten for most of November and from December 16 to January 27, a far cry from the struggles of previous seasons.

Britton said: “We are not far away from being a half-decent side. The disappointing thing is last month (February) we knew we would be struggling against Salisbury and Taunton but, in the last couple of games, we have come away with two points instead of six.

“We have created a couple of opportunities in both games (Shortwood and Didcot) to have got points.

“At Shortwood, they made good saves and we hit the woodwork and it was the same last weekend. We were 2-0 up and it could have been four at half-time. If it was, then the game is over.

“So, from those games, it feels like four points dropped rather than two gained.”

Britton takes his troops ‘to the seaside’ on Saturday if the Barnstaple pitch, which was surprisingly expected to be playable on Tuesday night for their big clash with Taunton before it was postponed, has turned to mud again.

Yate had their trip to Swindon Supermarine called off on Tuesday as well, but Britton is on a mission this Saturday.

“We are going there to win the game,” said the Bluebells manager. “They are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table.

“I know we can score goals but it is stopping them at the other end that we need to sort out. However, we can go there optimistic.”