LEATHERHEAD boss Richard Brady says March will be an important month for his side as the promotion race heats up in the Ryman League Division One South.
The Tanners, who currently sit fifth in the league on 50 points, face a brutal spell of eight league games during the month, starting with four straight games against sides from Kent.
And Brady said the players will have to be on their game to ensure they don't slip up against one of the lesser sides.
"No team will win every game and there will be peaks and troughs," he said.
"March will be important for us with eight games and 24 points to play for.
"We need to try and accumulate as many points as we can from that and then April will speak for itself."
And Brady said it is a bonus to have players returning from injury, with Matt Smart in line for a return to the squad to face Whitstable Town on Saturday.
"We are quietly confident," he said.
"We are happy with what we have got – all we need is to get our players back and we know that if we have our full team out, we are a match for anyone."
Brady confirmed that Tom Bradbrook will not be available for the trip to Whitstable though, adding that the striker is likely to be out for another ten to 14 days.
But Brady says he is happy that his squad can cope with the rigours of a hectic schedule, adding that bar further injuries and suspensions, he was happy with how his squad was shaping up.
First up for the Tanners, who were due to face Met Police in the Surrey Senior Cup quarter-final last night (Wednesday), is a trip to face Nicky Southall's Whitstable on Saturday.
That is then followed by a trip to Ramsgate on Tuesday, with Brady admitting that both games will test his squad, who are looking to pick up their away form again after two recent defeats on the road against Folkestone Invicta and Faversham Town.
But the Tanners will surely view lowly Whitstable as a good opportunity to record their 11th away league win of the season.
However, Brady is not taking anything for granted.
He said: "They will both be different challenges.
"We know that with our boys back, we will be able to compete and hopefully we can pick up our away form again.
