Sittingbourne manager Ryan Maxwell on the Brickies’ Isthmian South East title chances after ‘most complete’ performance of season in 4-0 win at Erith & Belvedere

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