Jonathan North believes that it will go down as a successful season for Wealdstone if they secure their National League South status for another year, but says they must push for greater success in their third campaign at this level next term.

The 25-year-old goalkeeper, who made his first appearance in more than three months on Saturday as Stones recorded a 4-1 home success over Margate, says avoiding the drop is the most important thing for them to focus on at the moment, but they should have one eye on pushing forward thereafter.

He told the Times: “Other teams are winning games, so we’re not safe yet – with our work ethic and ability on the ball we should be fine, but it’s down to us to make sure of it.

“We probably haven’t won as many games as we’d have liked this season, especially at home.

“But you look at some of the teams who are struggling, with their budgets, and ultimately as long as we stay up, it’ll go down as a successful season but maybe not the best season.

“It’ll hopefully give us a platform and you’d like to think next year, our third year at this level, we can really start pushing on.”

It has been another stop-start season for North, who is now back at full fitness after undergoing surgery on a knee ligament injury at the end of last year. It is not the first time North has suffered such agony, breaking his leg in two places in a game at Canvey Island four years ago - leading to an extended spell on the sidelines,

He explained: “It didn’t feel so great when I saw the weather forecast (on Saturday) – I hadn’t missed that – but to be back on the pitch with the boys was great.

“The most important thing was the win and for me it was just about getting through 90 minutes without any recurrence of the injury and it felt good, I feel strong.

“The knee feels a billion times better than it did before the operation – I was playing through it and it was affecting my movement and stuff, but I’ve got 100 per cent confidence now.

“I thought I was in with a shout of playing against Sutton, but maybe that wasn’t the right one for my first game back and Gordon (Bartlett) said in training on Thursday that I’d be playing.

“It’s been a while, so I had the old nerves before kick-off, but that’s because it was a massive game for us and we needed the points.

“Obviously when I broke my leg [in 2012] it had been a lot longer when I came back, but also it still wasn’t right. This one’s taken a bit longer than I thought it would, but that now means it’s 100 per cent right.

“There were no doubts at the back of my mind and, if there had been, there certainly wouldn’t be any more.

“This season’s going to end too soon for me – it’s been a bit fragmented – but as long as I get my appetite back and that feeling of winning games I can build a nice bit of momentum and look forward to pre-season.”

Stones’ game at Bishop’s Stortford on Monday was postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch. Bartlett’s men take on Havant & Waterlooville next at the Freebets.co.uk Stadium on Saturday.