LESS than six weeks ago, Bashley looked destined for a season of struggle.

A 3-0 reverse at Wimborne Town in the Red Insure Cup saw Frank Gray’s men exit their fourth and final cup competition of the season while being precariously positioned just above the drop zone in the Southern Premier.

However, 13 points from six league games since that embarrassment at Cuthbury has suddenly revived the fortunes of the New Foresters, who looked a far more promising prospect during their third straight victory over St Albans City on Saturday.

Key to their success has been the return to fitness and form of Mark Gamble who snaffled two strikes to sink the beleaguered Saints, taking his opportunities in the dying embers of each half to move Bash within three points of the play-off places.

In a match of few chances, Gamble glanced Charlie Knight’s cross into the bottom far corner of the net five minutes before the interval before sealing the points with a minute to go after being slipped in by Josh Casey.

Gamble rightly took the plaudits at full-time, but this latest success was built on solid foundations with Bash showing defensive discipline and organisation, restricting the visitors to few opportunities with a stoic display that left their manager purring.

Boss Gray told the Daily Echo: “We spoke before the game about the importance of improving our home form as it hasn’t been the best. We have got to make this somewhere other teams don’t enjoy coming to and I thought we did that against a good St Albans side.

“It was a good performance and although they made it very hard for us, we kept another clean sheet and got the three points which we are very pleased with.

“Winning games breeds confidence and we have a happy dressing room at the moment. We have to make sure we keep it like that.”

On Gamble, who now has four goals in the six games he has started during Bashley’s revival, Gray added: “It was always going to take Mark a while to find his feet after missing the whole of pre-season. He returned to the side a little bit early, coming off the bench, but the way things were going for us at the time we needed him in the side.

“We are starting to see the benefits now though. He is getting stronger and fitter with each game he plays and with the other players coming back to fitness, we look a lot stronger as a unit.”

Bash: Kearn, Wheeler, Oliver, Stephenson, Middleton, Richardson, Casey, Knight (Finlay, 85), Stokoe, Gamble, Jenkinson. Unused subs: Hill, Strickland, Green, Foster.