Lydd Town interim manager Ryan Smith is back to his old self after revealing he spent two weeks in therapy.

Smith checked in to Primrose Lodge in Guildford at the end of September.

He’d been struggling to cope with a change in his business life and decided to seek help after finding himself drinking too much and suffering sleepless nights.

Smith felt the situation was also affecting Lydd, with the team struggling to win a game and his own form on the pitch suffering.

Things have changed since his return, with Smith scoring four times, including an injury-time winner in an FA Vase first-round victory at Athletic Newham.

And on Saturday they thrashed high-flying Punjab 4-1 to move off the foot of the Southern Counties East Premier Division.

“I went away for some intense therapy,” said Smith.

“I told a lot of people I was on holiday but that’s actually where I was.

“The players knew and I told the committee on Thursday.

“Mentally, what happened in my business life had a big impact on me so I took some time out.

“I wasn’t in the greatest of places and I felt that was probably part of our bad run because I wasn’t on it as much as I could have been.

“In a funny way, it’s pulled us together.

“I’ve felt the love and support, to be fair, and that’s been reflected in performances because we’ve been playing pretty decent.

“I want people to be aware.

“I’ve hit the reset button from my business life, and how it was affecting me, and it’s yielded results.”

Lydd midfielder Ronnie Dolan drove Smith to Guildford and also collected him at the end of his stay.

“That shows how close me and Ronnie are,” said Smith.

“I had his full support and Primrose Lodge were amazing.

“We did yoga, reflection, where you go wrong, decisions you make, how you get over stuff.

“I was absorbed by my business life and I was having sleepless nights thinking about it, then I was drinking too much, and it’s how you handle things like that.

“It’s learning how to compartmentalise things and that’s what I was struggling with.

“Just being away from my phone for two weeks was a blessing.

“I came out and felt better. I’m at the gym every day, I’m refocused, reenergised and I’m thinking about football a lot more.”

Lydd trailed Punjab at half-time but stormed back with goals from Sammy Adams, Dolan, Stefan Payne and Tom Walmsley.

They host Glebe at the Lindsey Field this Saturday (3pm).

“We were brilliant against Punjab,” said Smith.

“They got a goal out of nothing but we were all over them.

“It could have been six or seven.

“If that’s our standard now, we’re going to be flying up that league pretty quick.”