RYMAN PREMIER LEAGUE: John Coventry admits his East Thurrock United side face a team bang in form when Bognor Regis Town come to Rookery Hill tonight.

Bognor have won their last three matches and are unbeaten in seven, having been languishing near the relegation places in the early months of the season.

East Thurrock meanwhile have been on a tricky run of late, winning only one of their last seven encounters to drop out of the play-off positions.

The hosts will now be out to repeat their winning performance against Bognor from last September, and stop them climbing above Coventry’s side in the process.

“Bognor are looking good at the moment,” said Coventry. “I watched them beat Kingstonian last Monday and it was a typical Bognor performance. They played good football and passed it out from the back. They are a team playing with confidence and that is very important in the closing months.

“Every team has a bad run at some point in the season and we are right in the middle of ours. But I can’t complain and if the season was to end today I couldn’t complain either as we have been excellent this season.

“But we will pick up more points and we are looking to get back on track tonight.”

Rocks were supposed to tackle Bognor at the end of January but, following a run of three consecutive home matches on a wet pitch, the game was postponed.

Coventry watched his side go down 2-1 at Leatherhead on Saturday but he says he has faith in his players, including attacker Mitchell Gilbey who has been on the substitute’s bench in recent weeks.

“Mitchell is not injured but I have to set up the team a certain way to get the best out of him and I am doing it a different way at the moment,” said Coventry.

“We have Ellis Brown and Sam Higgins in attacking areas and they are giving the oppositions defenders a lot to think about.”