WITHAM Town manager Adam Flint feels his team can set their targets on a place in the Ryman League division north play-offs this season.

Town kick-started 2017 in the perfect way by securing a 5-1 win at third-placed Bowers and Pitsea on Monday and Flint believes it is a performance that shows his players can still set their sights on a top-five finish this year.

Witham are still 13th in the table, but their win at Bowers has placed them just ten points behind the third-placed side.

They now have a testing run coming up with Thurrock, who are second, heading to the Village Glass Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) ahead of a home game against AFC Hornchurch the following weekend and then a trip to VCD Athletic.

Flint feels a positive return of points from the next few games can place his team in a good position to get among the promotion battle.

He said: “Someone said to me after the Bowers game that we could still make the play-offs and I don’t see why not.

“We have some big games coming up against sides like Thurrock and Hornchurch and if we can pick up results from them then who knows?

“It’s not about that, though, it’s about us keeping going and making sure that the season doesn’t peter out.

“It could do that but I want us to push on now.

“The boys believe we could get there and they want to do it.

“Consistency is going to be important for us, but I really feel we can get there.

“The carrot of doing it is there for us and that’s what we want to keep.

“The club have put no pressure on us, but for myself and the boys, we want to keep going.

“They are buzzing are the result against Bowers.

“People may look at it as a bit of a shock, but it wasn’t to me. Look at the teams above us and we have competed with all of them so why can’t we keep it going?”

The next test for Witham in their quest for a top-five finish will be a tough one as second-placed Thurrock travel to the Village Glass Stadium on Saturday.

Michael Osei has a five-game ban after being sent off against Norwich United, but Flint said he will have Lance Akins, Ryan Charles and Luke Mallett all available after they missed the game against Bowers and Pitsea.

He was also hoping to have Elliott Ronto available for the game against Thurrock after Chelmsford City allowed him to play for Witham on Monday.

Flint added: “We had Elliott Ronto back involved against Bowers as he hadn’t been playing for Chelmsford and they allowed us to have him if that was the case.

“Hopefully he will be back with us in games coming up.”