MARK Collier saluted a job well done as his Chippenham Town side confidently completed the first step of their 2016 play-off pursuit with victory at near neighbours Cirencester Town on Saturday.

With his team second in the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division table at the turn of the year, Chippenham chief Collier has devised a target of 40 points to secure his team a top-five finish and the Bluebirds secured the first three of that intended total with a 4-1 triumph at the Corinium Stadium.

“We said to the players before the game that we’ve got 20 games to go and if we can get another 40 points, we won’t be too far short of our target, which is to be in the play-offs,” said the Chippenham manager.

“We’re still on-target. Teams haven’t played (on Saturday) and we know that there are teams with points in hand that can catch us but we’ve just got to look out for our own corner and keep winning football matches.

“If we play like that in the coming weeks, hopefully we pick up more points. The signs are good.

“We need to keep players fit. Conor McCormack would have played for the reserves (Chippenham Park) on Saturday, Jon Beeden’s maybe a couple of weeks away, Scott Bevan’s back in the squad and Matt Jones has served a one-match ban.

“Obviously, I’d like to add to it as well and we’re talking to people and speaking to people at this moment in time, so we’ll see where that goes.

“Going in to January still second in the league; we’re in a good place and just want to keep progressing as we go.

“Now we’ve got 19 games left and we’re closer to our target, so let’s keep pushing.”

Matt Smith, James Guthrie, Andy Sandell and Alan Griffin all netted as Chippenham refused to be knocked off-course by a sodden surface at Cirencester, leaving Collier relieved that Saturday’s clash didn’t go the way of so many other postponed matches.

The Bluebirds boss said: “I think if it had been opposition from a long way away, it may have been called off.

“I don’t think it had too much of an effect on the game. I think the ball stopped on the edge of our penalty area twice in the last five minutes.

“Cirencester is a difficult place to go to. Their league position’s not where it should be.

“They get people behind the ball, they’re workmanlike and they’ve got good front players as well, so we’re particularly pleased.

“We thought we could get goals by using pace and getting runners in behind their back four, and that’s the way it’s worked out. I think we had seven chances and scored four.

“Four goals and three points is very pleasing.”