IT might not have been the result he ideally wanted but Witham Town manager Mark Ashford felt he saw a return to proper form as his team travelled to Bowers & Pitsea.

The hosts are a side who Ashford feels will be Bostik League division north champions at the end of the season and while his team were beaten 3-0, he was happier to see a better performance than he had witnessed in a couple of recent outings.

Ashford had harsh words for his players in the wake of dismal displays against Tilbury and Bury Town, so it was a relief that they produced something at Bowers that he considered to be closer to the side he knows they can be.

"It was a much better performance and until the first goal went in, it was very even," said the Witham Town boss.

"I felt we looked much more like our old selves and we played some good football.

"Considering we were playing a side who I think are the champions elect, I was pleased to see us more than hold our own.

"Take the goals away and I think if you'd looked at the game, you would not have known who were the team likely to win the league and who were the ones sat three or four spots off the bottom.

"But being good in and around the final third of the pitch at both ends is what football is all about.

"We were playing a very experienced team with very good players and you could see why they are the champions elect.

"They reminded me of Hornchurch last year and I would not be surprised if they won the league by six or seven points at the end of the season.

"They know how to grind results out as well as how to win well and they do the important things right.

"So all compliments to Bowers, but from my point of view, I was pleased to see us get back to our old selves."

Witham will hope to get back to winning ways - after three back-to-back defeats - when they host Great Wakering Rovers in the league at the Village Glass Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Ashford added: "Where we are now compared to where we were in mid November when we were adrift at the bottom is very different.

"The squad has improved a lot, but we don't want all the hard work to fall away now.

"This is the time we really build momentum to take into the end of the season and next year.

"There is a lot to play for before the end of the season and we need to concentrate in every game to put in really good performances for all of them."