WIVENHOE TOWN defender Tim Dennis believes the club’s tight-knit squad can continue to prosper.

After years of struggle, the Dragons are runaway leaders of the Thurlow Nunn League first division and won 1-0 at home to Dereham Town Reserves on Saturday.

They are still going strong in the League Cup, too, and face a tough quarter-final trip to Kirkley & Pakefield tonight.

Mo Osman’s side are just four points shy of promotion and a guaranteed return to the premier division.

And Dennis, an ever-present in the heart of the defence this season, believes the spirit among the players has been a key ingredient in their success.

“I’ve been here for five years and the first four were a real struggle,” said the 27-year-old.

“We haven’t always deserved to finish in the bottom three - especially last season when we played well enough to stay up.

“The only real problem was that we didn’t score enough goals, but this year that hasn’t been a problem at all.

“Ray Turner and Adam Hampson have come in and made a massive difference.

“Joe Heron’s performances have been different class, too, and overall it’s been much more enjoyable.

“The aim at the start was to finish in the top three.

“That was always our objective and now, assuming everyone sticks together, it would be nice to think to can go from strength to strength next year.

“We’ve gone through a lot and played a lot of football together.

“We’ve had some tough times but saw this season as an opportunity to really show what we’re about.

“It’s a tight-knit group and hopefully when we go up at the end of the season - touch wood - we’ll be able to kick on and keep pushing.”

Wivenhoe will be looking to convert their league form into a cup victory at Kirkley tonight.

“It’s a long way to go for a midweek game but we’ll go there and do our best,” said Dennis, who has played more than 100 games for the Dragons.

“It’ll be a tough match but if we could win and get into a cup semi-final it would be great.”

Elsewhere tonight, premier division promotion-chasers STANWAY ROVERS have a big match at fellow high-fliers Felixstowe & Walton United.

FC CLACTON make the trip to Haverhill Rovers and BRANTHAM ATHLETIC are at home to Mildenhall Town.

In division one, HALSTEAD TOWN, another side with promotion in their sights, visit Team Bury.