LEWIS Manor admits he is not playing at 100 per cent fitness despite his recent goalscoring run for Bowers & Pitsea.

The 26-year-old has started 13 of the last 14 matches, scoring 10 goals.

Manor admits he has been troubled by a persistent ankle injury in recent times but he is happy with his current goalscoring form as he bids to help second-placed Bowers continue their fine form in the Isthmian North.

“It is going well at the moment despite the injury,” said the striker, who netted twice against Brentwood Town at the weekend. “I struggled with injury in the last few months but we have found a way to treat it and deal with it.

“It is an impact injury, and I just need to ice it. But things in general are getting better. The surfaces are better and we are only playing on Saturdays until the end of the season, which will make a big difference.

“The two goals at the weekend were nice. We have been doing a lot of work on corners and I was doing it with (former coach) Mark Ashford before he left. He messaged me after the game and I said that he needed to leave for me to get them!”

Manor has agreed to remain at Bowers until the end of the season - following an approach from a league rival towards the end of 2017.

Bowers have played more games than their opponents in the keenly-contested battle for a play-off place come April.

And Manor - who was playing three times a week during Bowers’ FA Vase run in 2016 - said it is nice to have the points in the bag while the rest play catch up.

“It makes a big difference to season’s past,” he laughed. “And it gives us more time to prepare for whoever we are playing at the weekend as well.

“I would be lying if I said we weren’t doing well. The other teams have games in hand and I am sure the gap will close. All we can do is win the games we have got.

“If at the start of the season people had said we would be here we would have laughed and there are bigger clubs than us not doing as well. Cheshunt are bottom but are a bigger club than us so we know all our games will be hard.

“We are there to be shot at and are a big scalp for everyone else. Ware beat us recently when people may have expected us to win and we need to be aware of the situation.”