Hythe’s big players are responding to manager Clive Cook’s call to hold their nerve at the most important stage of the season.

Three straight wins have put the Cannons third in Ryman League Division 1 South with three games left to confirm their place in the play-offs.

Cook knows the job isn’t done yet but the attitude of his players has been spot-on so far during the promotion run-in.

He said: "I can finally say that after all these games, the team actually believes we’re going to win.

"It’s the big players that come to the table. It’s the voices – Dave Cook, Craig Cloke, Nick Reeves. The big players are dominating and the younger ones are taking it in.

"The flair of Alfie May, Jack Harris, Frankie Sawyer and now I’ve brought Dave Botterill in who’s playing a blinding holding role.

"James Morrish runs for England. When I think about the whole squad, I get excited and think ‘bring the next game on’.

"We haven’t done anything yet. We’ve had a great year but it would be an awful year if we don’t get in the play-offs because of the hard work we’ve all put in.

"It can still happen – we could lose our last three games and not make the play-offs.

"I’m not getting over-confident but we should get into the play-offs and after that, anything can happen."

Hythe travel to Sittingbourne on Saturday three points behind second-placed Dorking Wanderers and three ahead of Worthing, in fourth.

Cook said: "It’s exciting. We’re three games from the end of the season and it’s still not done yet.

"We’re only just behind Dorking. They’ve got a game in hand but I had someone watch them on Saturday and they were awful against Whitstable. I know they’re a good side, so it’s the nerves coming in.

"People are playing against the lower sides, the sides battling to get out of the relegation zone and trying to keep players for next year. They raise their game and it gets a little bit spicy."

Read the full story in the Folkestone & Hythe Express.