Manager Dan Scorer praised his defence after Kennington continued their fine form by beating Glebe.

Ton won 1-0 at Homelands on Saturday to maintain 11th place in the Southern Counties East Premier Division.

Fin Dent scored the only goal in the 78th minute as the hosts moved a point behind their opponents.

But Scorer was quick to acknowledge the contribution of goalkeeper Joe Mant and his backline for their part in the win and their climb up the table.

“I felt as though it was the slowest we’ve started a game in quite a while and all credit to Glebe because they came with the intention of bringing the game to us,” said Scorer.

“If it wasn’t for two or three good saves from Joe Mant and a couple of important blocks, from players chucking themselves at the ball from the edge of the area, then it could have been a very different scoreline after 20 minutes.

“We dug in and again that shows how we’ve grown and improved as a defensive unit.

“We’ve got the second-best defensive record in the league over the last 12 games, which is a fantastic achievement from where we were.

“We’re starting to show we’re going to be a difficult side to break down.

“We’ve got players who are committed to the cause and are prepared to throw everything at it.

“What was also pleasing was once we settled down and grew into the game, I think from the last 15 minutes of the first half and the majority of the second half, we controlled it and had several chances to put it to bed.

“It was a relatively late goal but we showed great discipline to see the game out.

“It’s all signs of progress and we’re in a position now where we’re playing with a sense of freedom.

“It’s bringing out the best in the squad and we’re able to recognise that, by doing the dirty side of the game and working hard for each other, it gives us the opportunity to enjoy the ball a lot more in effective areas.

“We’re creating chances, which again is something we struggled to do in the early part of the season, and we’ve just got to keep riding that wave.

“Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, I’m immensely proud of the work that my coaches, the management team and all the players have put in to turning our season around.

“It hasn’t been easy and we have had to be ruthless and honest and have those difficult conversations with players and work a lot on players’ games individually as well as collectively.

“What’s pleasing is all the boys are beginning to recognise, if they’re prepared to put the effort in and listen and take on board the information we’re giving them, they will come out on top, so hopefully that continues and we’ll see where we end up.”

Kennington visit Sutton Athletic this Saturday (3pm).