Stuart Boardley is not one for shouting from the rooftop of the Goldstar Ground but after his 10-man Felixstowe side came from behind to secure their sixth win in a row, he is quietly confident Seasiders will make the play-offs.

After watching his side win a raw, fiesty but highly entertaining encounter, 2-1 against second from bottom Hullbridge Sports, it is easy to understand his optimism.

Sam Nunn and Henry Barley hit the two second half goals after Tony Stokes had put the visitors ahead before the break, and the Seasiders had substitute Zak Brown sent off for two yellow cards.

Victory, was enough to push Felixstowe up to ninth in the Isthmian League North Division four points behind fifth-placed Grays, with three game sin hand.

"I have no shadow of a doubt that the play offs are possible," said Boardley. "It was our goal at the start of the season and nothing has changed that.

"We don't go shouting about it outwardly but that is the target for us and the players.

"We carry on going quietly about our business as we have been doing of late and concentrate on ourselves.

"I know that if we win our games in hand then we can get into this play off places.

"It is about take each game as it comes and making sure our performances are there every game. We may not always get the result but if the performances are there then we will win more than we lose."

Although Hullbridge were rugged, and belied their lowly league position, Boardley felt Felixstowe had made harder work of winning than necessary after hitting the crossbar and seeing several efforts cleared or saved.

He said: "I struggled to understand how the game has only ended up with three goals in it to be brutally honest.

"We had so many chances and we have been saying for many weeks we are not ruthless enough in front of goal, and that was very evident today, with the amount of chances we had.

"I said the lads at half time it is a lot harder for me to coach the creation of chances, we just have to be a lot calmer and more ruthless in front of goals, and we will work on that."

Hullbridge Sports were far from sporting at the final whistle when their keeper Lewis Green hoofed the match ball into the gardens behind his goal. His reaction then sparked a melee, which saw him red carded.

Meanwhile, a visiting fan was so unhappy with the match announcer he clambered up to the stand to disconnect a speaker.

All summed up Hullbridge's determined approach to win the relegation dog fight after a 2-2 draw against Bury Town in midweek.

Boardley said: "We knew they would be like that, they did it against Bury in midweek and worked incredibly hard again today.

"They are in a fight to stay up and there is not a lot between all the teams in this division. We are coming out on top at the moment, but Hullbridge will take points off a lot of sides because they are an honest, hard-working side that are well drilled and defend well.

"You saw that as they kept us at bay for long periods."

Despite being the better side, creating chances from various avenues, and being kept at bay by a stout Sports side, Felixstowe went behind when keeper Callum Robinson conceded a debatable penalty after diving at he feet of Tony Stokes.

The striker took the penalty, which Robinson saved well, but Stokes was quickest to the follow up to score.

As soft as the decision was, Boardley took it on the chin and believes things will even themselves out.

He said: The lad was clever and sold it to the referee who has bought it, whereas we had a couple similar in the second half and the referee has not bought it.

"I'm sure we will get our fair share over the season."

Centre half Nunn powered in the equaliser, while Barley found the winner , despite an attempted goal line clearance with Zak Brown making sure before he was dismissed for a second yellow.

Boardley's ten men held on and Boardley has urged Brown, who has just got back from injury, to find the balance in his rumbustious style.

"Zak has got himself sent off because they were two silly tackles he did not need to make," said the manager. "Our more experienced players would not have made those tackles, but he will learn from it,

"He has an edge to him, which I would not want to take out because that is part of him and makes him a special player, but he needs to curb that a little."

The Seasiders handed a debut to Ipswich Town loanee Jesse Nwabueze, who made a good impression after going on as a second half substitute.

Felixstowe go to promotion rivals Heybridge Swifts on Saturday seeking a seventh straight win and to extend their unbeaten league run to nine games.