After seeing his side turn in a fantastic performance to beat Touchline SIL Senior league-leaders Achilles last week, Wickham Market boss Nigel Lennard insists his side are looking to build the rest of the season on that result.

The fine 3-1 win saw Wickham climb to fifth in the table, with boss Lennard now challenging his troops to keep on climbing the table.

“Last weekend was a great win and was thoroughly deserved,” said Lennard.

“Hopefully the boys can use that result to push on for the rest of the season because it really has given us a boost.

“We’re now into the top five for the first time this season and that’s where we want to stay.”

After a difficult start to the campaign, Lennard’s men have picked up in the last couple of months and, with renewed confidence, have taken a lot of people by surprise.

“Football’s a funny old game but the new additions have really transformed our fortunes,” said Lennard.

“Players such as Daniel Hemmings-Smith and Adam Kelly have come in and made a real difference.

“That was the case earlier in the season as well, we were struggling but the return to the club of John Ince and Sam Baker plus the additions of Luke Hillyard and Adam Nuttall, did then really help us.

“Everyone is settled now and we’re a stronger unit going forward into the rest of the season.”

Looking ahead to what the rest of the campaign might hold, Lennard is feeling very optimistic.

“We’ve got some difficult games coming up but now that we’ve broken into the top five, we don’t want to fall outside it.

“It’d be great to finish third and I don’t think that’s beyond us at all but you never can tell.”

One player who has helped transform Wickham’s fortunes has been striker Sam Taylor.

His 16 league goals this season are one of the main reasons why Wickham have shot up the table so rapidly.

“Sam’s been terrific and is a natural goalscorer, long may it continue,” said Lennard.

Weather and pitch permitting, Wickham face Stanton this weekend, looking to avenge a 5-1 defeat earlier in the season.

Lennard rates the chances of the game going ahead as 50/50 but a host of the other games in the SIL are already off following Ipswich Borough Council’s decision to cancel fixtures at Whitton SC, Gainsborough SC and Ransomes.