Hayes & Yeading’s crunch match against Gosport Borough on Tuesday could see them soar clear of the relegation melee or be flushed back into the fray.

United picked up a crucial win against Dorchester on Saturday but Chelmsford, in 20th place, have just one point fewer than both H&Y and Gosport.

And manager Phil Babb still sees Tuesday’s match as a vital six-pointer.

“We go to win,” he said. “Every game’s a battle and if we can come away with something, we’ll be happy.

“We’ll take confidence from the Dorchester result, try to build on it and see if we can start another run.”

United have lost just one of their last eight but a lack of firepower has stifled progress. Justifying his team’s meager tally of 38 goals, Babb cited restrictive weather conditions.

“You have to play the pitches in winter. Lots of our players are ballers – they want to play,” he said.

“When it’s windy, wet and muddy, you’re forced to play a more archetypal Conference style, which doesn’t suit us.”

United certainly looked more fluid on Saturday - albeit against the division’s bottom team - and Babb was relieved to see the players expressing themselves again.

He said: “It’s nice to hear some ‘ole’s out there today – and not in a patronising way. They were popping the ball around nicely – that’s what we preach.

“We’ve shown we’re hard to beat and since the good weather’s come back, our results have picked up.”

Captain Dean Inman is also relishing the challenge of facing Gosport for the first time this campaign.

“We don’t fear anyone,” he proclaimed. “We’ve been really focusing on matches against teams around us near the relegation zone. Winning those games is key – anything else we can pick up is a bonus.”