CHESHAM United took a huge stride in the right direction on Tuesday night when they ended a three-game losing run with a battling 1-0 victory over Hungerford.

Jamie Potten scored the all-important goal against a team that had lost just two of their last 12 Southern League Premier matches while also knocking Chesham out of The FA Trophy just a week earlier.

However, after Chesham’s 2-1 defeat to Burnham on Saturday, when the visitors snatched all three points in the 90th minute, the Generals are moving in the right direction again.

Chesham boss Andy Leese said: “The pressure wasn’t really building because there is still so much of the season to go and because of the points we’ve got the board already.

“We’ve built ourselves a bit of a cushion so if you do lose a couple of games it doesn’t affect you too much.”

Chesham are now a point off leaders Hemel Hempstead Town, but seven clear of third.

Leese said: “It was another chance to get three more points clear of the chasing teams, and after where we’ve been in the last few games, the focus was really on us.

“We’re not playing as well as we were doing or as well as we can, we know that, but if you can still win a game like that without being at your best the chances are you’ll be in with a shout.”

Potten’s winner came after 32 minutes, and that proved enough despite concerted pressure from the visitors after the break.

Leese said: “We needed it after Saturday, but it wasn’t a routine win.

“It was a tough game. They are an organised outfit and took some breaking down.

“We had to withstand some pressure in the second half, but I felt we were good value for it.”

Chesham go to Frome tomorrow before fixtures against Biggleswade and Banbury before Christmas, with Leese challenging his players to take another six or seven points from the sequence.