WHILE the media are often guilty of hyperbole, I don't feel I'm overstating a point in saying that the next month could be pivotal for Braintree Town's season.

There's no secret that the Iron's return to the Vanarama National League has been testing - ten games without a win was not the start they wanted - so it's difficult to underplay the importance of them winning at Gateshead last weekend.

It was a 550-mile round trip for the Iron and the journey home was made all the sweeter by the three points placed safely in the bag ahead of a home game against Maidstone United on Saturday.

It's not been a bulging bag so far, though, and therein lies the problem.

Braintree haven't been converting encouraging performances into enough points.

There have been a couple of shockers - inury-time in the home game against Havant & Waterlooville springs readily to mind - but on the whole, the Iron haven't looked out of place back in the National League.

Halifax, Havant and Maidenhead are the only sides to have pierced the Iron's back line more than once out of their 11 games and those who they have matched have included ex-Football League sides like Barnet and Hartlepool.

They have clearly been doing not a whole lot wrong; it's just that the fine line between success and failure has too often found the Iron on its wrong side.

What that tells us is that Brad Quinton and his coaching staff have been getting it right and it's not just a managerial smokescreen where he has said it is individual mistakes that have been costing them dearly.

Had they not been up to the task, defeats would surely have been more conclusive, but that's not much solace when you're still waiting for your first victory.

That's why the result at Gateshead was so vital.

They have the talent, they have a system that's been so close to working and now hopefully, they will have the belief to press on.

There are still things to be addressed and the need for more firepower is key.

Whether that's Brad bringing in someone capable of setting the back of the net rippling 20 times a season or those already in the squad finding their scoring mojo, it doesn't matter, but they do need to have more impact in the final third.

They need to add to their six points - quickly!

Contrast the Iron's position now after 11 games to where they found themselves two years ago - the season they were eventually relegated from the National League - and it may be a concern.

They had nine points on the board back then, however, the situation now feels light years away from how it was during Jamie Day's brief managerial tenure.

Brad is doing things very differently and while the points tally needs improving, the squad now has a more robust feel to it than the 2016/17 cohort.

The current boss hasn't been afraid to modify his squad either, adding quality players in a way that Jamie Day seemed reluctant - or was perhaps unable - to and that's a key difference.

Quinton is finding his feet as a manager at this level, but he has shown great maturity in addressing issues within a tight budget.

The club have been good in allowing those tight purse strings to be loosened a bit and maybe they have identified the fact that it was a necessary step.

It shows they have faith in their manager and they are backing Brad to get them moving up the table in a way that they felt Day wouldn't have been two years ago.

Jamie was moved on after 12 games and in came Hakan Hayrettin.

Clubs always hope a managerial change borne out of adversity will kick-start fortunes, but aside from an FA Cup win against Bromley, the first month of Hakan's tenure was without a win and you could say that ultimately cost them dearly at the end of the season.

This is the part of the campaign where May's total is built on.

Braintree can't afford a lean late September into October and the confidence gained at Gateshead, the buoyant feeling on the coaches heading back down the A1 and the jubilation fed off the terraces at the International Stadium last weekend really must be turned into the cold hard currency of points now.