SWINDON Supermarine forward Josh Parsons believes the Webb’s Wood club have an advantage over their Division One South & West rivals in the push for the play-offs.

Parsons thinks that Marine’s experience of playing in a congested fixture list last season gives them a head start over the teams around them.

Last April, such was Marine’s backlog of games that their fixture list ran into double figures as they went out to Merthyr in the play-offs.

Supermarine lost on Tuesday to a last-minute goal at Wimbourne. The result leaves them ninth in the table but with Yate and Shortwood playing each other on Saturday Supermarine could climb three places to sixth, just one outside of the play-offs.

Parsons is confident Marine can push up the league and is banking on the experience and depth of the squad to give his side the edge.

“Thankfully we have a good squad, I think we’ll be able to cope (with the congested fixtures). The same thing happened last season and the fixture congestion affected us. But now we have the experience it will work in our favour,” Parsons told the Advertiser.

“The same XI isn’t going to be able to play every game, but we’re a strong side and whoever plays knows the job they’ve got to do.”

Tuesday’s result ended Marine’s three-game away winning streak and added to the side’s recent struggles to find consistency.

Obviously the weather has been a factor in that, Marine have only played five games since Christmas and had as much as two weeks between matches. Despite that, Parsons says Marine are capable of putting together a some good form.

“We know we can push right up the table and get into the play-offs at the end of the season.,” he said.

“The inconsistency in games is affecting us a littl bit, if we can put a good string of results together we can be right up there.”

Marine have failed to win more than a third of their home games, which Parsons agrees is a statistic that needs to be altered if they are to finish in the top five.

“Our home form hasn’t been as good as it should be, the last two games at home we’ve lost so that says it all.

“Those were against Didcot and Shortwood which are games we should be winning.

“You’ve got to win your home games and pick up points away to be in with chance of making the playoffs.”

Marine play Godalming on Saturday, a game Parsons says the Webb’s Wood club are targeting for a win to restore some confiedence.

“We need to get some consistency going, Saturday is one we should be winning. Let’s pick one up and get some confidence going,” he said.

This weekend sees the opening of the Excalibar at the Webb’s Wood and, to celebrate, Excalibur Communications will be issuing vouchers for a free drink at the bar for every match goer.

Excalibur have signed up as the newest sponsors of Supermarine and have also offered to provide extra funds through a referral scheme. The company will donate five per cent of the ongoing profits from referred sign-ups to Marine, covering ground improvements and extra training space.

Marine chairman Jez Webb said: “We are really excited about the Excalibar opening this weekend. The referral scheme they’ve put in place for us will be a huge help to our funding.”