Heybridge Swifts manager Jody Brown believes two more victories could extinguish his side’s lingering relegation fears.

The Scraley Road side host Haringey Borough on Saturday before a crucial match at fellow strugglers Waltham Abbey on April 9.

Six points from those Ryman League north division games could make the club all but safe, according to Brown.

Swifts’ form has been much-improved and they have only lost three of their last 14 matches.

However, they remain just one place and three points above third-from-bottom Abbey.

“It’s play-off form and after a run like that, we should be safe and higher in the table,” said Brown.

“However, we just don’t seem to be able to drag ourselves out of it because other teams keep winning, too.

“It looks like our defining game could be on Saturday week, against Waltham Abbey.

“Hopefully if we can win our next two games, including that one, we’ll be all but safe.

“It’s still a big ‘if’ but I’d like to think that would be enough, given that the second of those games is against Abbey.

“I’m still fairly confident and all we can do is keeping winning our games.

“It sounds like a cliche but that’s the bottom line.

“You do find yourself looking at other teams’ fixtures and results, but we just have to keep picking up points.

“If we do, we’ll be fine.

“We gave the other teams such a head start and it’s been such a difficult season, given the budget cut and our ridiculous turnover of players.

“We’ve almost had to rebuild the team from scratch and it’s taken time to get a settled side.”

Swifts, who beat Bury Town 2-1 on Saturday, had been due to visit neighbours Maldon and Tiptree on Monday.

However, the match was called off due to a waterlogged pitch, caused by Storm Katie.

It has now been rearranged for Tuesday, April 19 – seven days after Swifts’ Essex Senior Cup final date against Concord Rangers at Dagenham and Redbridge.

“I was glad it was off on Monday,” said Brown.

“I want to be involved in a football match – not a farce.

“There’s nothing worse than games being played in strong winds.

“As players and coaches, we prepare all week for these matches but the conditions make a mockery of it, because the team can’t do themselves justice.

“It also ruins it for the spectators, who have to watch a scrappy game.”

Looking ahead to the Essex Senior Cup final, Brown added: “It’s going to be a massive night for the club, when you consider that the cup final is usually contested by Football League teams and the likes of Braintree and Chelmsford.

“We’re over the moon to get there, but it’ll count for nothing if we get relegated.

“We have to stay up.”