AS third-placed Eastleigh step up their Ryman Premier play-off push at home to Windsor & Eton tomorrow (1pm), director of football Mark Dennis admits he sometimes has to pinch himself to believe how far the club have come.

With the Conference South possibly just around the corner, it seems inconceivable that this time three seasons ago the Stoneham Lane club were on their way to a mediocre 13th place in the Wessex League.

The transformation under manager Paul Doswell quickly delivered the Wessex title and last season they were promoted again from the Dr Martens Eastern Division.

"It's a new feeling for us to be up there competing with the big boys," admitted ex-Saint Dennis. "Sometimes I have to hit my head against the wall to believe it's true."

Although much has been made of Eastleigh's financial muscle, Dennis insists there's only one formula for the club's success - togetherness and hard work.

He said: "Getting where we are is not only credit to the players, but to the chairman, management staff and chief scout right through to the tea lady and the sweeper-upper. We've got a tremendous set of people at Eastleigh and the team's only as good as the backroom staff that supports it.

"We've got no wrigglers here. We're all in this together and if there are any bad apples, we get rid of them.

"Alex Ferguson has done the same on a far higher scale at Manchester United.

"It's nothing personal, but you can't afford to be sentimental if you're going to be successful."

Eastleigh will again be wheeling out the big screen at the Sparshatts Stadium tomorrow so that fans can stay on and watch England's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland ( 3pm).

A trip to Salisbury follows on Easter Monday (3pm) and Doswell said: "I think we will make the play-offs now, but it would be nice to finish second or third so that we get home advantage. We're a footballing side and playing on our own pitch would be a bonus."

But he added: "It wouldn't be a disaster for us if we don't go up. The Ryman Premier has been a good league this season and, with Wimbledon coming up, it's going to get better."

Chris Collins, Danny Rofe and Andy Forbes were all rested with slight niggles for the midweek Russell Cotes Cup win over Fleet that saw Tyronne Bowers stretchered off with a broken ankle.