Witham Town’s players have set the standard needed to lift them out of the Ryman League premier division relegation scrum, according to manager Garry Kimble.

Recent games have seen Witham stunned by late strikes as a run of nine league games without win have dragged them into the bottom four in the table, but it was their turn for last-gasp joy when they drew 1-1 with Canvey Island at the Village Glass Stadium on Tuesday.

John Watson’s brave goal deep into time added-on at the end may not have been a winner, but Kimble feels the manner of the goal and the way his team dominated the game can be a catalyst for a charge up the table.

He said: “The desire and commitment was there in abundance and hopefully the punters will have gone home a bit happier.

“We have broken the hoodoo.

“It has to set the standard because we have to be hard to beat at home.

“We can’t keep giving teams an easy ride and I felt we were the better side in this game.

“Lady Luck was on our side this time and John was very brave to out his body on the line to get the goal.

“What I need is that spirit all the time.

“John Watson is Witham through and through and you could see what that goal meant to him.

“What it meant to all of us.

“To be fair, that point could be the one that keeps us up.

“It feels like three points to us and now we have the momentum.”

They have a tough game on the artificial pitch of premier division leaders Maidstone United to come today, but there are also games against sides nearer to them in the table to come, including Tuesday’s home fixture against Harrow Borough.

Kimble said: “I think this can be the turning point.

“I know it will be hard at Maidstone on Saturday and no-one expects us to get anything there, but show me that commitment and we’ll have a chance.

“After Maidstone, we have Harrow Borough and Peacehaven at home and they are teams around us, then Tonbridge at home.

“They are winnable games and if we can put that effort that we did against Canvey into the next four games then we can pick up some points and we’ll be OK."