BRANTHAM Athletic assistant boss Jack Wignall believes a shift in mindset has been key to his club’s seven-match unbeaten run.

While disappointed to be held 0-0 by Great Yarmouth Town on Tuesday, the Imps have not lost for a month and are through to the League Challenge Cup final.

Their proud unbeaten spell includes five wins - most recently Saturday’s 3-1 success at home to Thetford Town - and they are fifth in the Thurlow Nunn League table.

Wignall believes it is a big achievement and says the players have upped their game, by becoming more ruthless and adopting a win-at-all-costs mentality.

“Last Saturday epitomised the way we’ve been playing, taking points and winning games when not playing well,” he told the Standard.

“Prior to that, three or four months ago, if we weren’t producing seven and eight out of ten performances throughout the team we were getting beat.

“We’d collapse and wouldn’t be strong enough mentally.

“We had a tricky spell like that after Christmas.

“A bit of tiredness kicked in, pitches were rough and heavy and because we were riding high, teams upped their game against us.

“They over-awed and over-powered us and we tended to play within ourselves.

“What we’ve done since then, as management, is instil more of an old-school approach, whereby it’s more about the result than the performance.

“We’re still trying to play with quality and I’m not saying we’re launching it route one.

“However, it’s about playing more percentage football and in the right areas.

“It’s finally clicked and the players understand.

“We’re on a decent unbeaten run, despite not playing overly well, and that’s the sign of a good team.

“That’s what the top sides in our division do. They grind out results but also have a ruthless streak.”

Brantham and Thetford met in a dress rehearsal for next month’s League Challenge Cup final and it was the Imps who prevailed 3-1.

The sides recently drew 2-2 and this was another tight contest, with the visitors drawing first blood before Ben Newson replied after a cross from Jack Newman.

Half-time substitute Sean Bartlett grabbed his side’s second, slotting home after rounding the goalkeeper.

Ed Nobbs then buried a late penalty to put the gloss on Brantham’s victory.

Wignall was delighted with the performance and added: “At this level of football, you need to have aggression and nastiness.

“By that I’m certainly not talking bad tackles or hurting players.

“I’m talking about having a ruthless streak and having that mentality of winning at all costs.

“Ability-wise, we’ll match anyone. There’s no doubt about that.

“But while everyone wants to play and watch pretty football, it’s more important to win games, especially the higher you go.

“If you win the majority of your games and end up getting promoted, no-one remembers the way you play. They just know you won.”

Brantham are back at the Leisure Centre tomorrow, for a match against Kirkley and Pakefield.

They then host Gorleston April 28 before finishing their league campaign at Yarmouth on May 5.