WHILE he admits that Witham Town have let themselves down as a team in recent months John Watson said there were signs in their last outing that show the promise that is in the squad.

The Witham stalwart midfielder was part of the side that drew 1-1 with Heybridge Swifts two weeks ago - before the wintery weather postponed Town’s last two fixtures - and he said it was a performance that showed what they are capable of.

It had been a disappointing spell for Witham in Bostik League division north ahead of that game against Swifts.

They had lost four, including a dismal 4-1 loss at Grays Athletic, and drawn one of their previous five games in a run that had seen them drop away from being possible play-off candidates to having manager Adam Flint questioning whether the season would just “peter out”.

However, the quality of the display against a Heybridge side who had been flying in the league led Watson to feel that Witham’s players can get their campaign back on track and press back up the division north table - starting against Waltham Abbey at home on Saturday.

“At one stage, we were thinking we could nick a place in the play-offs,” said Watson.

“But we have let ourselves down really as we haven’t performed as a team. There have been some great individual performances, but we haven’t done it as a team.

“But it did click against Heybridge and hopefully that result will see us turn a corner and we can get up the table.

“There are still a lot of points to play for.

“We’ve had runs where we’ve won games and if we can do that again, then we have to be thinking of finishing top ten or maybe the top eight.

“With the talent that we have in our squad, we should be higher, but we haven’t been playing to our strengths.

“We have been putting in fair performances, but not really doing what we are good at.

“When we went on that good run for eight or nine games (in November and December), we were doing the right things and then the weather killed us and we went backwards.

“We went back to the old Witham and we weren’t getting in teams’ faces and working hard.

“We were letting them play and it was only when we were three behind that we thought ‘oh, we’d better start playing now’.

“We didn’t let that happen in that game against Heybridge.”

Watson also echoed manager Flint’s words that the team needed players to be leaders on the pitch in their remaining 12 games.

He added: “People need to step up to be leaders now - that’s exactly what we want.

“I’m captain and while I’m not the most vocal player, I try to do my job and do it well enough so it rubs off on other people.

“You have some in the team who shout and scream and you need them as well, but everyone has to be men.

“That’s been the problem.

“We haven’t had men for the last couple of weeks, but we did against Heybridge.”

“If we can hold on to the players we have here and add a couple, then I think we can be very positive.

“If we finish strongly this year, then we can take that into next season and you never know.”