ANYONE ready to throw in the towel in Braintree Town’s battle to beat Vanarama National League relegation will be swiftly shown the door according to assistant manager Danny Searle.

Searle has spoken before about the need for the team and their supporters to stay positive as they try to turn fortunes around in the second half of the season.

And after an encouraging home performance against Boreham Wood on Saturday, he felt it showed that there is reason to keep believing that survival is possible this year.

However, Searle insists the Iron’s players must be more clinical when chances are created or they will keep being frustrated like they were against Boreham Wood when they only claimed a point rather than the three they felt they deserved.

He said: “If you are the opposition looking at our games over the past three or four weeks, you’d see that we could easily be seven points better off than what we are now.

“But talk is cheap and you have to be clinical and take your chances.

“That is in both penalty areas, but it does have to turn for the boys because they deserve it to turn for them.

“There are good people at this club and we firmly believe we have enough to not only turn it around, but then kick on.

“Look at what Dagenham have done.

“They were down with us and, yes they have invested money, but they have strung a few results together, got themselves up into mid-table and are now looking the other way.

“For me personally, I don’t see any reason why we can’t do the same.

“If anyone felt anything different then we wouldn’t want them with us.

“In our opinion, there are a lot of points to play for and a lot of teams that we look at and think we are capable of beating.

“So it’s a no-brainer for us.

“We have to apply ourselves until it’s mathematically impossible to stay up then you have to keep believing that you will do the things in the right way and get the points you need.

“I firmly do believe we will.

“We’ve been in every game and that’s the frustrating thing.

“But we are where we are and the boys know the effort and attitude they have to have in training and in games.

“I’d say the one against Boreham Wood was probably the best it’s been over the 90-plus minutes because there were no lapses in effort.

“We haven’t had that level of intensity and there is a different vibe in the dressing room at the minute, which is good.”

Braintree are due to continue their quest to get clear of the Vanarama National League drop zone when they head to Ebbsfleet United on Boxing Day.