WISBECH Town boss Steve Appleby has declared himself “over the moon” with the recent form of his inspired Fenmen, after they beat local rivals Ely to notch up their fourth consecutive win in a fortnight.

The Fenmen followed up their 5-1 smashing of Cogenhoe United in the FA Vase last weekend with a 3-2 win at Ely City on Tuesday night.

After going behind early on, Wisbech needed a brace from recent signing Paul Jones and a stunning solo effort from Lewis Thompson to beat their neighbours.

Appleby said he was pleased with the determination of his side, which has seen their unbeaten run stretch to seven games.

He said: “I’m over the moon. To come back with anything from Ely is a bonus, it’s never an easy place to go. Our reaction showed that it meant a lot to us. The lads showed a lot of character.”

The Wisbech boss was full of praise for two goal hero Jones and the other recent additions to his squad.

“He’s a quality player,” he said. “He’s someone I’ve known about for a while and I knew he wanted to come here. He has really shown that quality and he’s doing the business, and so are Aaron (Turner) and Stacy (Cartwright).

“The new faces have given everyone else a boost as well. The lads mean business.”

Appleby said his team were full of confidence but that he was keen to ensure that they keep performing.

“The mood in the dressing room hasn’t changed to be honest. The lads are all confident in their own ability and they feel like they can beat anyone when they play at the top of their game. Now we need to keep our consistency and not get complacent.

“I keep trying to reign people in and keep their feet on the floor. Just because you have a brand new stadium and you’re on a good run, it doesn’t give you a divine right to win games.”

The Fenmen will have to play last year’s beaten finalists Wroxham in the second round of the FA Vase, after they smashed five past Cogenhoe in the first round last Saturday.

Goals from Andy Furnell, Luke Kennedy, Tommy Treacher and a brace from Matt Lunn secured an emphatic victory for the Fenmen, and Appleby remains optimistic about their chances in the competition.

He said: “We were disappointed with the away draw but you can’t have everything. Wroxham is a winnable game and if you want to do well in these competitions then you have to beat the good sides.”

The Wisbech boss said he was happy with the club’s progress, and praised the fans for the growing support at the Tom Wood’s Beer Stadium.

“The support we are getting is awesome and we know it can get even better having played at Fenland Park. The fans can be ferocious and that’s brilliant to have behind you.

“My aim is to finish top of the league. That has always been my aim as a manager and as a player. We will continue to aim as high as we can, and if we don’t make that then we could still exceed expectations with a high finish.”

Wisbech Town will travel to second in the league Kirkley and Pakefield tomorrow as they bid to extend their winning streak to five games.