Sutton United boss Paul Doswell reckons the last five-days at Gander Green Lane is a microcosm of his side’s season thus far.

Doswell’s men hit top form on Saturday as a Sam Gargan hat-trick helped dispatch Wealdstone 5-0 before a disappointing first-half display cost them a 2-1 defeat to play-off rivals Tooting & Mitcham.

It leaves United sixth in the Ryman League Premier Division table, but well placed for a Christmas assault on securing a top five finish.

Doswell admits his team, who have won eight and lost seven league games this season, needs to find a consistent streak if they are to avoid a repeat of last season where they left securing a play-off spot until the final day.

And he knows his men will be branded failures if they don’t make it.

“I’ve got to say we were excellent at the weekend. The best team performance I think I’ve ever had as a manager,” he said.

“But we were slow to adapt to the conditions against Tooting and paid the price for a poor first-half performance. We weren’t at the races.

“It is typical of our season so far, but I’ve been trying to impress on the players that a good run will put us in a strong position.

“If a team can get a run of five or six wins together now, I believe we will comfortably make the play-offs.

”It will be seen as a failure if we don’t get there.”

The reason Sutton are still in the play-off frame has largely been down to the form of former Brighton & Hove Albion youngster Sam Gargan.

His triple at the weekend coupled with goals from Alan Pouton and Steve Watts took his season’s tally to 12 in all competitions since signing in the summer.

And Doswell, who saw Watts grab his second goal in two games in Tuesday’s defeat, admits 20-year-old’s arrival has been a key influence.

“He’s been an excellent signing for us. We are a young team playing a system that suits him, with plenty of pace out wide,” he added.

“As long as we get quick legs around him it works and we saw exactly that at the weekend.”

Sutton travel to AFC Hornchurch on Saturday with the United manager expecting a tough examination in testing conditions.

He said: “Tuesday was the first time we have played on a really heavy pitch. The ref was in two minds about calling it off and I wish he had now.

“We’ve got get used to those conditions because there will be more like that this winter. I’ve never beaten them at Hornchurch. It will be a tough game.”

Sutton’s next three games: Dec 5 AFC Hornchurch (a), 12 Kingstonian (h), 14 Tooting & Mitcham (SSC, a).