Fleet midfielder Anthony Cook doesn’t want to go through the play-offs again.

Cook was part of the Fleet side that lost to Maidstone in last season’s National League South play-off final at Stonebridge Road.

Fleet are again in the title race heading into the final stretch of the campaign but Cook – who also experienced play-off defeats with Chelmsford – is still driven to finish top by the pain of last year.

He said: “It motivates you even more. The heartbreak of not winning the league and then losing (the play-off final) on penalties having conceded in the last minute of extra-time, you don’t want to feel that feeling.

“There’s nothing like a winning feeling. When you go home having won on a Saturday, everything is a lot better.

“I’m not interested in the play-offs, I don’t think I’ve ever won in the play-offs.

“I’ve been in the play-offs or won the league every year that I’ve played football and I’ve never won the play-offs, so I’m not interested!”

Cook has only just regained his place in the starting line-up after being axed following the FA Trophy exit at Kidderminster in January.

He nearly marked it with a hat-trick against East Thurrock last Saturday, scoring twice in the first half including a spectacular finish. But he insisted that the team comes first.

He said: “I wanted a hat-trick and had a great opportunity but I missed it.

“But we scored six goals – if that went in, we might not have scored six goals so I’d rather win 6-1 than win 4-1 and I get a hat-trick. It puts more goals on the goal difference.”