Boss Alan Dowson has quit the booze and is ready to live like a saint to power Kingstonian up the Ryman Premier League table.

The Kingsmeadow chief returned to the dugout on Sunday after missing five games to get over the effects of a kidney infection.

The 41-year-old, who is set for surgery before Christmas to remove kidney stones, saw two goals from Leatherhead’s Vernon Francis and a Tommy Hutchings strike down his men 3-0.

And the former Walton & Hersham boss, who has declared himself teetotal, insisted the defeat and his recent health problems has been a real wake-up call.

“I haven’t been feeling 100 per cent all season, but everything is sorted and I’m ready to crack on,” he said.

“This has been a real wake-up call. It has made me realise how much I love football and I love this club.

“I’ve given up the booze and will be teetotal from now on, so I can concentrate all my energy on getting Kingstonian back to where it should be.

“I’ve joined a 24-hour gym and instead of being in the bar after a game I’ll be working out.

“I’m going to be working 24-7 for this club from now on.”

Assistant Mark Hams and coach Martin Tyler had secured seven points in his absence as Ks have risen into the top half of the Ryman Premier League table.

But Sunday was a set-back and Dowson insisted, after Sunday’s defeat, he is ready to lead the fightback to form. “Hamsy and Martin have done a great job while I’ve been away, but I’ve got a job to do and I’m ready to do what needs to be done,” he added.

“The goals we have been conceding have been a problem all season, as well as being able to find the net.

“We need to find a winning formula or get a side that can compete.

“I’ll be judged on results and I’ve got to do something about the situation where we’re tenth and getting beaten by a side that is second bottom.

“At the moment it looks like we are not going to be looking at the top five come the end of the season.

“I’ll be talking to one or two people we are looking to bring in over the next couple of weeks.

“But is up to the players here now to prove they want to be at this club.”

Kingstonian’s stars did that in some style on Wednesday night when a Bobby Traynor brace and further goals from Hongi Moon and Stuart Duff thumped Blue Square South Welling United 4-0 in the London Senior Cup.

Ks have a two week break in the league calendar – after this Saturday’s visit of Hastings United – before the visit of Tooting & Mitcham on January 2.