BILLERICAY Town manager Craig Edwards believes his side cannot make the play-offs after Monday’s 2-0 defeat to Kingstonian, but hopes they can draw inspiration from what he says has been “a very good season.”

The defeat was Town’s fourth in five league games and saw them slip seven points off the fifth and final play-off spot, albeit with a game in hand.

And Edwards says his team must make sure their season doesn’t fizzle out, with six games left and an Essex Senior Cup final date against Concord Rangers.

“We will find it very difficult to make the play-offs,” he said. “To be fair, we played a very good Kingstonian side and they were deserved winners, but we didn’t turn up.

“I thought we needed four points from Canvey Island and this match and we have lost them both. But I said to the boys this has been a really good season. We were in the hunt all the way until April, made the semi-finals of the League Cup and are in the final of the Essex Senior Cup, which we are desperate to win.”

Two first half goals from Pelayo Pico Gomez saw Kingstonian take the spoils but Edwards said he hopes his side can take inspiration from an old programme he found at the club this week.

“I am helping out with a soccer school and I came across a programme from the 2010/11 season. And it is uncanny how similar a situation we are in now as we were back then. That was the season we won the Essex Senior Cup and went on to win promotion the following season.

“This is a very young group of players, but also a very talented group. I have no doubt we will come back stronger and fight until the end of the season, and then push on next year.”

Edwards confirmed Town had appealed midfielder Jack Edwards’ sending off at Canvey, although a decision date has not been set.