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A CONSISTENT backline has helped Whyteleafe lift themselves out of trouble at the bottom of Ryman League Division One South, believes Fred Fleming.
But the centre-back has warned against complacency as the Church Road club face tougher fixtures and changes in defence against Whitehawk and Met Police in the next week.
The defender scored twice from set-pieces as Leafe beat derby rivals Merstham on Tuesday, keeping Fleming on his personal target to reach double figures for the season with his seventh goal this term.
Having struggled for much of the season, Leafe were comprehensive winners at Moatside, giving them a fifth win from six league games.
"We've just improved all over," said Fleming. "Before we had Dan Aldous in defence we were struggling at the back, chopping and changing.
"We went to Corinthian Casuals [losing in the Surrey Cup] with a young side and just didn't get started.
"But apart from that for the last six games, since Met Police, we have had the same back four.
"We've been training whenever we've not played now, so it's down to fitness. I think we've got the best disciplinary record in the league.
"I just think we've got the best back four we've had all season."
Unfortunately Dan Frith, the left-back who missed a penalty, suffered an injury that is likely to put him out of the weekend's game at Whitehawk.
Meanwhile Fleming will be unavailable for the reverse game with Met Police a week on Saturday.
Other factors have come into play, with Ryan Thomas, aged 17, forming a fruitful partnership with fellow forward Fabian Batchelor.
"We've got Ryan up front, who just can't stop scoring and we've just improved all round," said Fleming.
"Before the Met Police game we were just not defending as a team.
"We've worked on it in training and it seems to be paying off. We just need to keep winning.
"Whitehawk will be a difficult game but they only beat us 2-1 at our place."
Fleming believed the victory at Moatside brought Merstham "into the pack" of clubs that Leafe could chase.
But while the camp is buoyant, Fleming knows that a couple of defeats could unravel the good work. He said: "We've got tough games coming up now and it is just as well we've won games recently. Whitstable are still picking up points."
He believes that Leafe have the confidence to avoid a bottom two finish.
"We're flying. When we were losing, everyone's heads were down, but now there's a buzz. But it would only take us to lose against Whitehawk and Met Police and we're back in it."
Fleming, a centre-forward at Colliers Wood before joining Nicky English when he was Chipstead chief, has continued to score goals despite his manager turning him into a centre-back.
"That was my seventh goal of the season and in the last few seasons I've scored double figures apart from once."
Fleming's first came after 20 minutes when he headed in at the back post from a corner. That was just moments after Merstham keeper Ian Chatfield had injured himself when saving Frith's penalty.
It was 2-0 eight minutes later when Frith received the rebound from his corner and sent a ball into the box. Chatfield came out and failed to punch clear and the ball fell to Fleming who volleyed into the net.
Alec Brown missed an easy chance 14 yards out. They scored again through Ryan Thomas on 52 minutes, the 17-year-old sprinting onto a throughball and slotting his shot across Chatfield.
Whyteleafe: Lidbury, Gunner, Frith (Graham 55), Felming, Aldous, Stripp, Thomas, Brown, Agyei, Batchelor (Akpkia 90), O'Flaherty. Unused subs: Borrett.