It has not been a happy new year for Devonshire Colts, the Premier Division new boys, but coach Ray Jones is confident the team’s fortunes will start to change.

Colts were hit by several injuries in November and slipped down the table.

Defeats to Dandy Town, Hamilton Parish and Somerset Trojans have left Colts in seventh place and without a win this year.

They are now involved in a relegation fight which intensifies on Sunday when they host an improving Devonshire Cougars, who are two points behind them, at Police Field.

Ironically, when the teams last met in the league on October 9, Colts won 4-1 to go three points clear at the top of the table.

Things have changed since then, with Colts going in one direction and Cougars in the other, moving off the bottom of the table last Friday with a win over Hamilton Parish at Devonshire Recreation Club.

“You could say that of the two teams they are the in-form team,” Jones said of Cougars.

With Colts’ injuries starting to improve, Jones hopes they can begin picking up points again in their final seven games.

“The injury situation has reared its ugly head,” he said. “It’s probably the most depleted team I’ve been around at our club in years. But slowly we’re getting players back, so hopefully our fortunes will start to turn around.”

Colts were promoted with Boulevard last season, with Blazers showing what a return of a key player can do, with striker Ian Coke and his goals lifting them up the table to sit level on points with Colts.

“Ian Coke even spent some time with us, so I definitely know his qualities,” Jones said.

“A proven scorer can take you a long way and he has come back at the right time for them.”

Jones is hoping survival does not come down to the final game of the season when they play Dandy Town, the runaway leaders.

“Hopefully each week we can get a little stronger and slowly we can start to see some positive results,” Jones added.

“It’s still a long way to go, seven league matches, 21 points up for grabs so there’s a sense of urgency but not a sense of panic.

“We basically just need to get that feeling back again because we haven’t had any victories in 2016 and it would be nice if it could be Sunday.

“The spirit is still good, players are still coming to training and you just have to keep working hard,” he said.

n Jonté Smith’s English non-League side Lewes had their home match against Dulwich Hamlet in the Ryman League last night postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

The Bermuda striker scored twice on his debut at home to Canvey Island last weekend.