Steve Watt believes Hythe’s points return against Ashford this season shows the progress they’ve made.

The Cannons won 1-0 at Homelands on Boxing Day, thanks to Brad Schafer’s 47th-minute strike.

Victory moved Hythe up to seventh in Isthmian South East, while a fourth straight defeat leaves the Nuts & Bolts 11th.

Hythe have taken four points from the two league meetings, following a 2-2 draw at Reachfields in October.

“It’s the first time I’ve beaten Ashford in the league since I’ve been at Hythe,” said Cannons manager Watt.

“Ashford’s a massive club compared to Hythe, so you’ve got to try and measure yourselves up against them.

“I think the first season I came in we got beat fours and fives by them.

“So maybe we’ve closed the gap on a massive club like Ashford.”

Ashford felt they should have got something from the game but Hythe left with the points, bouncing back from a 2-0 defeat against Chichester last time out.

Watt said: “It was a good away performance against a team who are not going through the best of times.

“We had a bad result against Chichester - not a bad performance - and it was important we bounced back as quickly as possible.

“You always want to win a game as quickly as you can.

“The longer you don’t, the harder it gets so it was just important to get three points.

“If I’m being honest it wasn’t our greatest performance. We’ve played a lot better.

“The 2-2 against Ashford at home, we should have won that comfortably but we drew.

“I think a draw would have been a fair result on Tuesday but we got the win and that’s all that matters.

“You don’t get what you deserve in football sometimes, as we’ve found out.

“There wasn’t much in the game. They had a few opportunities from counter-attacks and we had a few, and a goal ruled out in the first half and a stonewall penalty not given.

“We defended well and Steve Phillips has made some routine saves.

“He wasn’t really tested in terms of having to make any unbelievable saves but his handling was very good and when our opportunity came we took it.

“We’ve taken four points from two games against Ashford and I’d say that’s probably a fair reflection but the results should be reversed in that we win at home and draw away.”

Hythe visit East Grinstead on Saturday and host Sheppey on New Year’s Day (both 3pm).