A few weeks ago, things were looking bleak for Weston-super-Mare AFC after their eighth defeat from their last nine games with a 2-0 defeat at Braintree Town and were sitting in 20th place in the National League South, two points off the relegation zone.

After four points from their next two games against Torquay United and Maidstone looked to have given the Seagulls hope despite back-to-back defeats at Dartford and Aveley in their next two games.

Since then, Weston bounced back to beat Hengrove Athletic 9-0 in the in the Somerset Premier Cup to start their run of six wins in all competitions, including four in the league, to move up to 11th in the table and move within three points off the play-offs.

"We lost against Avery and Dartford, and we went into the game after that with a lot of conference," manager Scott Bartlett said. 

"Because we were playing well and I think that it's important, as staff, that we relay that message to the players you are not always going to win, you come up with some difficulties at times.

“I thought at Dartford we were 1-0 up and then we missed the penalty and then we conceded straight after, so things happen, but all we can do is control what we can control and us working hard. 

“Being a good group, showing respect to each other and making sure that we're always give our best, and I think if we do that, we can be a test for most teams. But we're also mindful that as valuable these 12 points have been as we have huge challenges around the corner."

In some ways Weston's explosive start to the season came to many as a surprise, three straight wins including blowing away local rivals Bath City away 6-2 in their own back yard.

Last year's Southern Premier South champions had spent four years outside the National League South following their first ever relegation in 2019 but looked to have never been away and by August 15 sat in an impressive second place in the table.

But only one league win, in the middle of two FA Cup victories, at Truro followed in two months before beating Torquay United 3-2 in October saw Weston start to turn the ship around.

In their last nine games, Weston have chipped in with 20 goals compared to 17 in 14 matches, including four in each of their two three against Welling United (4-2), Worthing (4-0) and Cray Wanderers (4-1) and are on their best run of form since recording seven successive wins between September and October.

"It's great, a couple of those are in the cups, but four league wins are really, really important," Bartlett added.

"It's 12 massive valuable points and I felt against Aveley and Dartford, the two games we've lost, and we've drawn a couple of games against Maidstone and Hemel Hempstead and Hampton I felt, we might have gone on and been a little bit braver and tried to win.

"I don't quite think we've got the points up to before this run that that we deserve, but the league table is what it is. We're like everyone else if we've got a few injuries and a little bit of loss of form we'll suffer.

"But at the moment we're in a good place, the lads are working really hard in training, as they always do. We've got good little team of staff here. Everything is set up to keep doing well.

"We'll have a bump in the road, there's no doubt about that. My staff, Scott (Rogers), my assistant and all the others have been magnificent in their support for that and also to make sure that we don't come off script.

"We keep trying to do it how we want to do it and just become a better version of ourselves all the time."