LEWIS Sparrow says Great Wakering Rovers must get three points against Cray Wanderers tomorrow if they are to maintain their push for the top half.

Rovers travel to second-from-bottom Cray aiming to continue their impressive recent run, which has seen them climb to second in the form table, having taken 13 points from the last 18 available.

And Sparrow says avenging Rovers 2-0 defeat earlier in the season at the hands of tomorrow’s opponents, and moving 19 points clear of the relegation zone is crucial.

“We must get the three points tomorrow,” he said. “We lost the first game and didn’t play well at all that day. But things are different now and I believe we are more than capable of continuing this strong run.

“It would be fantastic to pull that far away from the relegation zone. We targeted a top half finish at the start of the season and we are on course to achieve that if we continue in the same vein.

“We have always had the belief that we could push on and get the results we are now getting and the team feels confident heading into every match.

“You only need to look at last week’s match against Thurrock. We equalised in the 97th minute whereas we would have lost that game earlier in the season, having conceded such a late goal ourselves.”

Sparrow was a central figure in last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Burroughs Park.

After Abs Thompson had been sent off, the Thurrock man is believed to have thrown a punch at the Rovers captain, with Billy Radley also sent off in the resulting melee.

Thompson has since been released by Thurrock, and Sparrow said he has never been involved in an incident like it on a football pitch before.

“Nobody wants to see that,” he said. “Luckily I dodged the punch but it could have been nasty.

“I saw he had been let go. It is not for me to speak about that but Thurrock are a reputable club and maybe they felt they had no choice.”

Sparrow also reserved praise for striker Jay Nash, who has scored six goals in the last six games, having gone three months without a goal earlier in the campaign.

“Nashy is an important player for us and with regard to what we want to achieve this season.

“He was playing well when he wasn’t scoring but he is now getting the goals as well. He isn’t the biggest but holds the ball up really well against some big defenders.

“If he is on his game and keeps scoring we can continue to push on.”