TOMMY Saunders insists Charlie Griffin has a future at Hardenhuish Park after seeing the transfer-listed frontman score his first league goal of 2003 on Saturday.

Griffin was placed on the list by the Bluebirds boss after a poor performance in the Wiltshire Premier Shield defeat at Salisbury last Tuesday, but responded in style when he was restored to his favoured striking role against Cambridge.

The former Swindon forward's availability sparked some interest before Monday's transfer deadline, but he remains a Bluebirds player at least until the end of the season and Saunders' wish is that Griffin will fulfil his true potential in a Chippenham shirt next term.

Said Saunders: ""Everybody knows that I like Charlie Griffin. As a person I think he's fantastic, but sometimes he needs a kick up his backside.

"I'm pleased the supporters didn't get on my back about it on Saturday. All I want is the best for Chippenham Town and I think we had a motivated Charlie Griffin out there.

"I've taken him off with five minutes to go purely and simply so he could milk the applause of the fans and he deserved it.

"But if he lets his standards drop then he won't be here next season, it's entirely up to him.

"He has the ability to be the best goalscorer and the best player in the Dr Martens Premier and I hope that I'll be able to help him get there."

Saunders was delighted to see his men put a difficult week behind them with victory over Cambridge on Saturday and praised the home fans in a disappointing crowd of 445 who turned up to give the team their backing.

He said: "The fans that turned up on Saturday were absolutely fantastic and got behind the lads from the word go.

"The players responded, no question about that, and two or three of them had fantastic performances.

"Ian Herring was superb and I thought Scott Walker at left-back was a different class with his distribution and his positional play.

"Colin Towler has played the second half with a hamstring injury and Adie Mings has tried to go out there in the second half with a really bad groin injury. They're heroes.

"It was a great, great result. Thankfully we've bounced back from Tuesday night when, in the second half, we were dire. Football is all about winning and sending the fans home with a smile on their faces."

The Chippenham manager was pleased with the contributions from his front players, who have struggled to find the net in recent matches.

Said Saunders: "We played no differently on Saturday than we did against Halesowen and Moor Green but the big difference was we put our chances away.

"If you put your chances away you win games of football. I'm delighted for Charlie and what pleased me more was that Martin Paul decided to lay the ball off for the first time in a long time instead of trying to turn and shoot."

Last week's Wiltshire Premier Shield exit means Chippenham will finish an impressive campaign without silverware, but Saunders believes finishing second behind champions-elect Tamworth would represent a huge achievement for the club.

He said: "My players have done so brilliantly and probably look favourites second to finish second in the Dr Martens table.

"I'm not saying we will finish second, but we have a great chance.

"We've forgotten about the last month. When we went 19 or 20 games unbeaten, we got carried away with it.

"We are one game unbeaten now and it is all about building blocks. We have six games to go and, if we can win four or five of those six, then we'll come second.

"That will be even better than getting to Wembley. Not as an occasion, but in terms of what the club has done. We are in a massive, massive standard of football."