Sutton United forward Bardley Woods-Garness says he is out to prove to boss Paul Doswell he is worth a shout for a shift on the front line.

The 24-year-old has battled back from summer surgery on his knee to fire five goals in his last five games for United - including last week’s spectacular winner against Harrow Borough.

Striker Woods-Garness, who has been deployed out wide this term, struggled with a torn cartilage last season and believes he has finally shown the Gander Green Lane faithful what he is capable of.

He admits he has a tough task to replace prolific goalscorer Richard Jolly or Craig Dundas through the middle, but insists that is his next stop.

“I’m pleased with the way I’ve come back and I’m feeling fit and healthy for the first time in a long time,” he said.

“I just wanted to show what I can do and I am chuffed to be scoring goals regularly again. Long may it continue.

“It was a stop-start campaign for me last year because of the knee and I’m just happy to have been asked to stay on for another year.

“Jolly has scored millions of goals at this level and Craig brings something completely different to the table.

“I’d prefer to be playing up front - and that is where I want to play - but I’m happy to do a job out wide providing we keep winning.”

Woods-Garness picked up a Conference winners medal at Barnet as the Bees earned a return to the Football League in 2005.

Doswell has threatened to quit if Sutton aren’t promoted this season and his former England youth international striker reckons preventing the gaffer’s departure is a chief motivation in adding another trophy to his collection.

“As you get older the chance of winning something gets less and less. You don’t get many opportunities to do that at senior level,” he added.

“To win anything is an achievement and that is what we have set out to do.

“We don’t want the gaffer to quit, so it would be brilliant to be promoted as champions and crack on from there.”

Sutton travel to Kingstonian on Monday and Woods-Garness, who scored in his side’s 4-2 Ryman Premier League play-off semi-final defeat to Ks, is out for revenge.

“That second half was the worst 45 minutes of our season and it couldn’t have come at a worse time,” he said.

“We have got stronger as a squad since then and we are determined not to let that happen again.”

Sutton’s next three games: Oct 2 Margate (a), 4 Kingstonian (a), 9 Lowestoft Town (a).