STEVE Ball wants his Maldon and Tiptree side to battle for every remaining point between now and the end of the season.

The Jammers host Thamesmead Town at Park Drive on Saturday, hoping to keep their faint play-off hopes alive in Ryman League division north.

Maldon have lost only one of their last ten league games and lie eight points off the play-off places, with four games remaining.

Thamesmead lie eighth in the table on 73 points – two places and five points above Maldon – and Ball knows it is an important fixture, as the season draws to a conclusion.

Ball said: “It’s a big game for us against Thamesmead who are just above us in the table and the season is still very much alive.

“It’s a big ask but if we can close it down to five points with three games to go, then you never know.

“We’ve had a phenomenal run of results and we rarely get beaten.”

Maldon will go into the Thamesmead game with plenty of confidence, after their 2-1 triumph at Soham Town Rangers last Saturday made it back-to-back wins for them on the road.

Darren McQueen scored their first goal, just after the hour mark.

Kieran Monlouis then doubled the Jammers’ lead two minutes from time, before Jordan Gent ensured a nervous finale by pulling one back for Soham.

“We were a bit disappointed after the Soham game because we were hoping that we would have closed down the gap but there are still 12 points for us to play for,” said Ball.

“We were without Sam Newson but it showed that even though we only have a small squad, we have quality and a bit of strength in depth.

“Soham are unbeaten at home since last October and it was a good place to go to and win.

“They’re a physical side and their pitch is average at best but we actually showed that we understand how to win these kind of games – it was a mature display by us, much like the one at Wroxham.”