Ryan Maxwell feels Sittingbourne are back in the Isthmian South East title race after their scintillating form.

Boss Maxwell wrote off the Brickies’ chances following a New Year’s Day defeat by leaders Ramsgate which left them 13 points off top spot, having played a game more.

But they have won seven successive games since then, including a 4-0 victory at Erith & Belvedere on Sunday which the manager described as their most complete performance.

The weekend win moved them to within six points of Ramsgate, now level on games played, and in a three-way scrap for the title along with Cray Valley.

Maxwell said: “Anything can happen.

“If Ramsgate lost two games and we won two games, we’d be level.

“But, if I’m honest with you, and it’s not just manager talk, we’ve got to this position by focusing on us. That’s all we can do.

“You can’t control what happens elsewhere until you play them.

“We’ve got Ramsgate once more (April 1) and we can only directly affect them that day.

“Until then it’s in the lap of the footballing gods but we will make sure we’re putting the pressure on, that’s for sure.

“It’s all about putting the pressure on and pressure does funny things to people. There’s none on us.

“We weren’t supposed to win the league, we were supposed to have a really good season and threaten the play-offs and here we are.

“I believe we can go the whole way but that’s because I’ve got to have that belief and the fight in me to transcend that to the players.

“But ultimately it’s all about focusing on our games and ticking them off as they come.”

Crucially, Sittingbourne have opened up a 14-point gap on the chasing pack outside the play-off places.

It leaves them well-placed for a top-five finish and a shot at promotion even if the title proves out of reach.

But the Brickies, who host Chichester on Saturday (3pm), are taking nothing for granted.

“That’s quite a gap,” said Maxwell.

“We thought a gap might develop and that has happened.

“We had to make sure we were north of that gap and not south of it but there’s a long way to go.

“We won’t be taking anything for granted or taking our eye off the ball.

“What we’ve done to get where we are is what we’ll keep doing, nothing more, nothing different.”

Sittingbourne fans had reason to smile before kick-off at Erith & Belvedere after Maxwell put £100 behind the bar for them.

And their good mood continued as goals from Luke Woodward, Harry Hope and Mitchell May put them 3-0 up after 22 minutes before Donvieve Jones added a late fourth.

“We’ve been working really hard and it’s coming together nicely,” said Maxwell.

“I think that was our most complete performance.

“From the first second, every single player was on it.

“Erith & Belvedere were coming off the back of a great result at Hythe on the Tuesday, so we knew we had to be on it.

“We prepared like it was the most important game of the season in terms of our training and what we worked on and the information we were given. We left no stone unturned.”

Winning breeds confidence and that’s a key element as Sittingbourne look to maintain their fine form.

Tactics are important but Maxwell knows the significance of a happy squad.

He said: “I’ll go on my experience as a manager and I’d say confidence is huge, a massive factor, and the boys are absolutely buzzing at the minute.

“There’s a real belief and with belief anything’s possible.

“You’ll always play your best football with a smile, may it be internally or externally.

“You’ve got to enjoy what you do in any walk of life to be the best at it.

“There’s a real buzz, a real belief and a super togetherness, and I think everyone’s enjoying being a Sittingbourne player right now.”

Sittingbourne visit Littlehampton on Tuesday (7.45pm).