Rutherford hails Chichester City's hard workers after Haywards Heath and Lancing are beaten

They saw off Haywards Heath 4-0 at Oaklands Park on Saturday – and beat Lancing 1-0 at the same venue on Tuesday night.

The six points were much-needed after a sluggish Christmas and new year period which preceded a series of postponements. The haul leaves City 10th in the table – where as without the week’s points, they would be 17th.

Now they steel themselves for a tough week on road – visiting promotion-chasing Cray Valley PM on Saturday and going to Burgess Hill next Tuesday.

Kaleem Haitham, Lewis Hyde, Lloyd Rowlatt and Isaac Bello got the goals that downed Haywards Heath, while Ethan Prichard’s strike was enough to beat Dean Cox’s Lancing.

Delighted Rutherford said: “The good thing during our time without a league game was we managed to arrange a friendly at Dorking. We’re grateful to their boss Marc White for that.

"It meant we could give the lads a game and get some proper minutes into their legs. That made us sharper for when we did get back to league games.

"Against Haywards Heath we created plenty of chances and took a good number of them.

"Where we worked so hard on Saturday, that did take its toll on Tuesday night.

"We were the better side against Lancing in the first half but we ran out of steam and it was an even second half. The pleasing thing was we didn't concede. We’ve certainly been defending better lately.”

Rutherford said the club’s coaches had been keen to step up training sessions during the three weeks without league action – where as over the festive period, they felt they might have given the squad too many days off.

Rutherford added: “Two wins have lifted us but we have a hard game at Cray Valley. They’re the best side we’ve played and I can see them winning the league."

Jamie Horncastle and Lewis Hyde are the main injury doubts.