DARREN Perrin believes the next few weeks will be vital in deciding Melksham Town’s credentials at the top end of the Toolstation Premier Division table.

Melksham are currently sitting pretty at the summit following an impressive 4-0 win away at struggling Winterbourne United last weekend.

They now face three home games on the spin, with Buckland Athletic, Willand Rovers and Bridport all visiting the Conigre on consecutive Saturdays.

Despite Town’s current lofty league position, boss Perrin has not changed his belief that the league title is beyond Melksham. However, he has set his sights slightly higher than the early-season aim of a top-six finish.

If they are to do that they need to make the most of their February fixture list as Melksham finish the season with what Perrin has labelled a “horrendous run-in”, with their final seven league games all taking place away from home.

Perrin said: “The win at Winterbourne sets us up for some massive games that we’ve got coming up now.

“Buckland and Willand in particular are two very good sides and if we can do well it gives us the opportunity to put pressure on the teams around us.

“It was important to put another three points on the board last weekend and to be fair we needed to as we’ve got a horrendous run in.

“I believe now we will finish in the top five. I can’t for the life of me see us winning it but the players keep proving me wrong and long may that continue.”

Perrin reckons that many of the Melksham’s rivals at the top will strengthen their squads before the end of the season to give them the best chance of maintaining a title tilt.

However, that will not be happening at the Conigre as Perrin will keep faith with the players that have served him so well this season already.

He said: “In the next few weeks you will see some of the bigger sides bring players in to put a string of results together at the end of the season.

“We won’t do that and will stick with what we have as my players have done unbelievably well this season.

“It was a great day for many reasons last Saturday and the players deserve to be where they are as they have been absolutely magnificent in the last few weeks.

“We are in this position because of the way they have been performing all year.”

Dean Flockton is definitely out injured for Saturday’s game against Buckland and Dan King is unavailable but those are Melksham’s only two absentees.

Perrin added: “We have had a fair share of injuries ourselves and hopefully we have turned a corner in that regard now.”