STEVE Witherspoon has hailed Brentwood Town's 3-1 win at Heybridge Swifts as their best away win of the season.
An Abs Seymour goal and a brace from the Alex Read helped The Blues extend their unbeaten run to five matches and lifted them to 13th in Ryman League Division One North.
Witherspoon said: "Heybridge Swifts are third in the league and were on a roll.
"We've gone and beaten them and you can't say fairer than that."
But things could have been different if, at 2-1, Swifts forward Michael Cheek hadn't blasted his 73rd minute penalty over the bar.
"Their top scorer's striding up and I'm thinking 'here we go'," said Witherspoon.
"They were on top and they had the wind in their sails. If that goes in then maybe the game changes but he's hit it high, wide and handsome."
Instead of sitting on the slender lead, Witherspoon and his coaching staff decided to make some attacking substitutions in order to go searching for another goal.
"I just thought that we didn't want to let them impose themselves on us," said the manager.
"We made the changes and it gave them something else to think about. I think me and the coaching staff deserve a little pat on the back for deciding to really go for it."
Witherspoon was delighted with the performance of goalkeeper Reece Otley who has just joined the club from Billericay Town after his contract was cancelled.
He replaces Elliot Justham as the club's first choice after he left last month for East Thurrock United. Tottenham loanee Jonathan Miles had be filling in between the posts and Witherspoon is delighted to have finally found a new permanent stopper.
He said: "He's come out of it with flying colours.
"Hopefully, we've got somebody there who we can keep for a while now. He's been fighting for a place at Billericay and I've known about him for a while through my goalkeeping coach.
"They piled the pressure on during the second half and he made two or three really good saves to keep us in it."
Last night (Tuesday) Brentwood were hoping to finally play their Essex Senior Cup game against Colchester United after several postponements due to the weather.
Several members of the first team squad were unlikely to be risked meaning some of the club's U18s would get the chance to deputise.
On Saturday it's back to league action with a trip to tenth placed Cheshunt, and Witherspoon is in confident mood with no injuries or suspensions to worry about.
He said: "I'm not saying we're world-beaters but by a day we can compete with most sides in that league and we're on a good run at the moment."
