Halstead Town manager Mark Benterman is backing goalkeeper Elliott Ringe to bounce back from his “day to forget” last weekend.

The Humbugs keeper made a number of errors during their 5-1 defeat by Thurlow Nunn League division one promotion rivals Ely City.

It wasn’t the result that the hosts were hoping for as they welcomed a bumper crowd of 426 to Rosemary Lane for the club’s Youth Day event when their younger age-group players, staff, parents and sponsors gathered at the ground.

Benterman admitted that Ringe’s mistakes had contributed to his team’s defeat and said there would be changes for tomorrow’s trip to AFC Sudbury Reserves in the league.

However, the Humbugs boss was quick to add that he had faith in his keeper and is backing him to respond positively from a tough experience.

He said: “I’ve spoken to Elliott and he’s obviously disappointed with his performance, but he will stay on board at the club.

“It will be a hard one to get over straight away, but we have Luke Banner back fit now so it opens a door for him to come back in goal.

“But I said to Elliott that he has been fantastic this season – it was just a bad day at the office for him.

“He is someone who I hold in high regard and I want to work this through with him.

“It’s certainly not the end of the road for him with us.

“We all make mistakes.

“He has been punished for his on this occasion, but there were mistakes all over the park and we have to build confidence back up again.

“It is now all about how we respond – that’s the important part. We played well against Ely and we worked hard and showed passion, but mistakes at crucial times hurt us.

“It can be a cruel world, but we will regroup and will show a response.

“There will be changes because I want to see that response.”

The first chance to show a response will come tomorrow when Halstead head to AFC Sudbury Reserves and the fact that it is a fixture against their local rivals will mean little to Benterman.

“We just need a response and we can’t look too much further than that,” he said. We’d need one regardless of who we were playing.

“We have so much ability in the dressing room but some were feeling sorry for themselves on Saturday so we need to see the response now from everyone.

“However, we will go to Sudbury full of confidence because – apart from Ely – results for other sides around us went our way so we are still well in the mix.”

Benterman has bolstered his squad ahead of the trip to Sudbury, with Sam Cripps joining from Stanway Rovers.

The striker scored 21 goals in 20 games for West Bergholt in their Essex and Suffolk Border League premier division title-winning campaign last year and also fired in three goals in a Border League representative game recently.

“He became available and I jumped at the chance because he gives us another threat up front,” added the Town manager.

Halstead are also looking to bring in another young striker, who has been playing for the Essex under-18s side, in a loan deal from Chelmsford City.

Meanwhile, Lee Clowsley has bee