Sutton United skipper Jamie Collins reckons the club’s unbeaten run in National League South owes a lot to the team spirit in the changing room.

Back-to-back draws over the weekend extended United’s stubbornness to five games ahead of Saturday’s visit of Hayes & Yeading.

The only shadow on the record is that three of the games have ended in deadlock, but the central defender insists they are not far away from turning one point into three, and when that happens, fans will see United at their best.

Collins said: “We have a lot of players who have won this league before, and who have won better leagues than this before, so overall we have that winning mentality.

“But a big thing at this level is team spirit, and right now we have a great team spirit and it shows.

“We’ve lost one in the past 10 league games, a lot have been draws, and if we can convert the draws into wins then we will not be far away.”

Weekend preview: Sutton United skipper is expecting the unexpected

Fan's column: A Sutton United front: Bolarinwa is creating the positive vibes at the Lane

He added: “At the start of the season we were not the best defensively, we were very open as a team.

“The gaffer likes to play attacking football and sometimes we left ourselves short at the back.

“But we have worked hard in training, sorting out the back four and the players in front of us, and it seems to have worked.

“At the moment, we’re one or two per cent away from turning the draws into wins, and that’s when you’ll see the best of us.”

Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Eastbourne Borough, featuring Tom Bolarinwa’s second goal of the season, was followed by the same scoreline at the Lane on Monday night against high-flying Oxford City.

Bolarinwa was instrumental in the goal when his cross was turned into his own net by Jon Arzamendi, but Collins reckons they should have got more out of the encounters that leave United eighth in the table.

“You’re always happy not to lose because it keeps the unbeaten run in the league going, but if had got four points out of the two games, it would have been a good return,” he said.

“For probably 60 to 70 minutes against Oxford we were the better team, and in the second half we had four shots that hit the bar or post, and a couple that we’d expect to score.

“It was a frustrating evening, but we did not lose.”

He added: “But we think we’re one of the best teams in the league with the players and experience we’ve got.

“Our aim is to be right near the top by Christmas and see where it takes us from there.

“But there is no doubt in the changing room that we believe we’re one of the best teams in the league.”