Lydd Town’s weekend team-talk has taken care of itself as Scott Porter’s men left it late to see off lowly Stansfeld on Saturday.

Captain Ryan Smith sparked joyous scenes at Lindsey Field as he converted a 96th-minute winner to see off the strugglers and keep the Lydders well in the hunt for a play-off spot in the Southern Counties East Premier Division.

Porter enjoyed the 3-2 win but admitted his side weren’t at their best and knows bottom side Welling Town - who held leaders Glebe to a draw on Saturday - could spring another surprise this weekend.

Porter said: “The two goals we gave away were poor, both from free-kicks which were avoidable, but to get a last-minute winner in any game of any magnitude against any opposition is a massive plus. We weren’t good but we still got a win and that’s the plus side of it.

“They are not a bad side, no team are going to lie down for you, they will keep coming, Stansfeld kept coming and we did miss James Rodgers (suspended) and Ronnie Dolan (unavailable) in the middle of the park, any team would, but both will be back for this Saturday’s game and that’s a positive, but we got through without them.

“Welling drew with Glebe, they’ve a new manager in there, that’s the team-talk done for Saturday but we have to just keep doing what we’re doing, worry about what we’re doing, there will be twists and turns with so many going for the play-offs.

“We weren’t good but we won without being good, we need to put some of those wrongs right.

“Every game is a cup final and we have to just keep ticking them off. We just need to keep winning games of football.”

Lydd have now won five of their last six, losing out only to high-flying Corinthian.

Porter: “You’re not going to win games with 10 men and then nine with sin bins, every game we have won we have had 11 men on the park, that speaks for itself.”

Lydd ended the weekend three points off the play-off places but there was a busy night of league action ahead in the week.

Individual errors cost Lydders twice as Stanseld hit back on each occasion after Luke Burdon had scored, the first of his brace coming from the penalty spot. Dickens also headed an effort onto the bar in the opening half.

Stansfeld had pulled it level with 85 minutes gone but Porter’s men won it after being awarded a late throw.

The manager said: “We were going to do a long throw and sent everyone forward, there was just a minute to go, so we set it up, the other team all went back into the box and Kenny (Pogue) came short, got it back to Dicko and he put in the ball for Ryan to score with a far-post header.

“There were great scenes at the end to get that stoppage-time winner. As a manager you look at the plusses and minuses, I pointed that out to the boys afterwards, but to score when we did was brilliant, you know the game’s done.

“We have a couple of experienced bodies back this week which is massive for us and we go again on Saturday.”

*Burdon followed up his double on Saturday with a goal for Sunday League side Market Hotel, on the scoresheet in a 3-0 win over Range Rovers to claim a place in the Kent Sunday Premier Cup final.