Julian Wade feels he is hitting form at the right time as Brechin City try to keep pressure on the top of the Highland League.
Wade has scored five in his last four games for Brechin, including a hat-trick in last weekend’s 5-0 win over Nairn County.
The Dominican international has 11 goals in all competitions this season and the Angus outfit are a point off top spot, albeit having played two games more.
Brechin have won seven of their last eight league games, as they look to secure a return to the SPFL at the first time of asking.
“I never lose hope,” said Wade. “It’s my first season here and some may see it as naïve, but as long as it’s mathematically possible (we’ll keep going).
“It’s not in our hands but we’re going to play every game to put pressure on the top teams. It’s up to them to withstand it.
“We’re playing as if we’re going to win the league. If you don’t have that mentality I don’t think you’ll ever touch the championship trophy.
“We dropped points in some crucial games but now we’re definitely picking up form again, which is necessary seeing how close the table is. It’s set up to be a big finish.
“On a personal level, I’m getting a better feel for the league, what works and what doesn’t. It’s been a bit of trial and error.
“I had three targets at the beginning of the season. The first was to get used to the conditions and adapt to the team. The second was to get form and consistency and my third was to ensure I got at least double-figures in goals.”
Brechin have six games remaining, starting with Strathspey Thistle on Saturday. They have hit the goal front in recent weeks, putting five past Nairn and Wick Academy and bagging six against Keith.
Along with Wade, fellow strikers Marc Scott and David Cox have also hit trebles in recent weeks.
“It’s one of the things at Brechin that’s really promising,” added Wade. “We have got players across the front line that cause defences trouble in different ways.
“In this month we’ve had hat-tricks from three different players. Before that, we had Garry Wood and Kieran Inglis. That’s what you want from your attacking players.
“We’ve only conceded one goal in the last few games and the midfielders are putting a shift in. As a team, we’re getting to where we want to be.”