JAMES Webster believes the next seven games could make or break Aveley’s season.

The Millers manager endured a rocky start to life at Parkside, winning just three of his first 21 matches after joining from Brightlingsea Regent.

But seven points from the last nine has lifted Aveley away from the foot of the Isthmian North and towards safety.

And Webster now wants his charges to maintain their recent form – with matches against four of the bottom five coming up.

“This is our time,” said the Millers chief. “We need to secure our place and that is our aim. The last seven days have gone a long way to doing that (wins against Bury Town and Mildenhall Town and a draw against Potters Bar Town).

“We play Brentwood, Romford, Cheshunt and Ware and these are teams that all need points, but so do we. These are the games that will decide what happens.

“And anything can happen, look at Canvey losing to Soham Town Rangers on Saturday.

“It was a tough start but it was about building a squad and seeing what was possible from there. Working with a settled group and implanting a different style of play was always going to take time and the results of that are coming through.

“We look more of a team now. I don’t like to make wholesale changes but that is the way it has gone early on. Players become available and they are better suited to the team, these things happen.

“We have conceded a lot of late goals and we needed to stamp that out. On Saturday we were able to do that so I am hopeful we have turned a corner in that regard.

“We needed to be more confident at the end of games, and we were.”

The Millers were worthy winners against 9th-placed Bury, with one early goal enough for the points.

After Myles Keizer-Burrows hit the inside of the post, Chris Bourne’s corner was met by Ryan Cosson and his header flew into the net.

The same man hit the post as Aveley came close to extending the lead but it remained 1-0 at the interval.

Tevan Allen hit the bar up the other end at the start of the second, with a rare foray forward for the visitors after the interval. But the hosts dug in to secure the points.

Aveley: Madden, Malton, Bourne, Witherspoon, Keizer-Burrows, Cosson, Topley (Berkane 69’), Doyle (Cook 77’), Teniola, F. Gard (Gordon 84’), L. Gard