CHIPPENHAM Town’s Luke Ballinger doesn’t think that it will take much for his team to get back to the sparkling form that has driven them up near the summit of the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division table.

The high-flying Bluebirds were near-immaculate at the start of the year, winning five games in January as part of a seven-match unbeaten run, but in recent weeks, results have carried more of an air of inconsistency.

Tuesday’s 2-0 loss at Merthyr Town means that Chippenham have won three and lost three of their last six but wide man Ballinger is taking heart from his team’s recent performance level, even if certain outings have failed to herald positive results.

“It has been a little bit inconsistent but we’ve still been playing well and I think that if we keep doing what we’re doing, it won’t be long until we’re firing on all cylinders again,” said the Bluebirds man.

“When you’re going for promotion, you need to try and stay at that top level but it can be difficult to do that.

“There are 10 games left but I don’t really think that it’s that tense yet.

“We played quite poorly on Saturday but still won and then on Tuesday, we played okay but didn’t get the win.

“Every time we’ve been beaten, we’ve come back with a win, so that’s what we’ve got to try to do again on Saturday (at Cambridge City).”

Chippenham were made to pay for missed chances on Tuesday as they were bested in South Wales.

Mark Collier’s side were chasing the game as early as the 19th minute as they failed to cut out a right-wing cross, from which Ian Traylor fired home from a central position.

James Guthrie twice went close to levelling matters, drawing a save from home goalie Glyn Garner with a curling free-kick and then Ollie Taylor missed the visitors’ best chance of the half, turning his man on the edge of the area before beating Garner but seeing his strike roll against the post.

With 10 minutes to go, the ball fell to Greg Tindle in the area but his strike with his weaker right foot hit the bar from six-yards out.

As the match reached stoppage time, keeper Kent Kauppinen joined the attack for a corner and also played a high line to aid Chippenham’s attacking options.

But he was caught out in the 93rd minute by substitute Ryan Prosser, who sent a 40-yard shot over his head and into the empty net with the last kick of the game.