LEYTON manager Troy Townsend hailed his players’ response after their emphatic 4-0 win over local rivals Enfield Town on Tuesday, following Saturday’s two goal surrender at Redbridge.

The Lilywhites have discovered a new lease of life under the coaching duo of Townsend and Tony Ievoli, with just one defeat coming in seven games, a run that has coincided with an impressive scoring spree of 15 goals.

Townsend insisted that his side have turned the corner and are starting to play some of the best football of his reign.

“It was an absolutely fantastic response from the lads,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming. We knew somebody was going to get it and there’s no better game to do it in than against our local rivals.

“We’re safe from relegation and we’re quite a way off the play-offs so there’s no pressure on us, other than the pressure we put on ourselves, and that has allowed us to try different things.”

Everything paid off for the local side on Tuesday, and Robert Carter got the ball rolling as he fired in at the back post. He grabbed a second with a powerful header after Ross Edwards’ flick on, while Michael Bakare, in the form of his life, set up Andrew Thomas with a sumptuous ball into the box, which the forward did well to convert.

The left winger then claimed his sixth goal in as many games with a fierce 25-yard strike, expelling the memory of Saturday’s 3-2 defeat, when Bakare’s brace was cancelled out by Redbridge.

Maldon are next up for Leyton this weekend.

Elsewhere, Waltham Abbey’s promotion ambitions took a turn for the worse as they were narrowly beaten by fellow high-fliers Northwood at Capershotts. The result leaves them four points adrift of fourth place in the Ryman Division One North.

Meanwhile, Waltham Forest’s revival under new boss Olewale Ojelabi showed no signs of slowing as they battled to victory in a pulsating game against Ware last week.

In a topsy-turvy match, it was the visitors who took an early lead, but the Stags hit back shortly afterwards through Spencer Harrison.

Gaz Dauti and Yacine Hamada both hit the woodwork, but the hosts eventually took the lead after the break as Kyle Rule fired home. Dauti then extended the advantage with a penalty, but Ware hit back with two goals in ten minutes.

However, Hamada took it upon himself to win the game for the Stags, scoring a superb solo goal before making the game safe in the dying minutes.