CONFERENCE SOUTH: Danny Cowley believes Concord Rangers are better equipped to reach the Conference South play-off’s this year following Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Havant & Waterlooville.

The Beach Boys sit only one point off the top five after they stretched their unbeaten run to 13 league matches, with a brace from Lewis Taaffe and another goal from Taylor Miles condemning fourth-placed Havant to defeat.

And Concord now have six games remaining as they stare down the barrel of a play-off place only seven years after they were playing in the Essex Senior League and the ninth tier of English football.

Concord achieved a similar feat last year, as they reached April with a real chance of a top five finish, but five defeats in their last six matches meant they ended the season ninth.

And manager Cowley, right, is hoping the fixture list will work in their favour as the season nears its climax, with the club to play the league’s bottom three in the final three weeks.

“We were in this position last year with six games to go and we couldn’t see it through,” he said.

“We had a massive fixture pile-up and played five games in the last week of the season. This season we are better prepared and we go into the last six games with absolutely no pressure. Some of the other teams have massive pressure on them. Their players and managers are expected to get the play-offs.

“We just have to stick to what we do well.”

And Concord did that on Tuesday, as they recorded the double over Havant.

“It’s a brilliant result for us,” said Cowley. “We needed to hang on in the early stages and Havant played the best football we have seen at Thames Road for the first 20 minutes.

“They scored and I think our reaction shows how much we have grown. Before we would have chased the game and tried to get back into it straight away but that was not the case against Havant.

“Our response was measured and showed real discipline and good game intelligence. Our passing and the intricacy and build-up of some our moves were exceptional.

“We have had some special nights at Thames Road and that was right up there.

“We were great as a collective but there were some great individual performances as well. Lewis Taaffe always works so hard and it was nice to see his work rewarded with goals, and both were really accomplished finishes.

“He is our first defender and I think he must he been watching Stokesy (Tony Stokes) finish with his side-footing. Alex Woodyard was great as well, while Taylor Miles’ goals and assist ratio must be up there with Steve Cawley right now.”