Halstead Town manager Mark Benterman is asking his players to step up and put a disappointing league performance behind them as they begin their FA Vase campaign at Rosemary Lane tomorrow.

A 4-1 defeat at Long Melford on Wednesday saw the Humbugs surrender their perfect start to the Thurlow Nunn League division one season and Benterman admits it isn’t ideal preparation for facing Broxbourne Borough in the first qualifying round of the Vase (kick-off 3pm).

But the Halstead boss said he had eight players unavailable for the trip to Melford so is hoping to see some return tomorrow and for his players to bounce back with a stronger performance.

He said: “We want to go as far as possible in the Vase, but we won’t go in full of confidence now after this last game.

“But we will get them prepared properly and I’m hoping we’ll see players coming back and raring to go.

“I expect to have James Regan, Ash Baptiste, Ellis Carter, Reis Farley-Hearn, Gareth Thomas and Jordan Hutchings back after they all missed Wednesday for one reason or another. That’s six of the eight and it should make a difference.

“You look for your more senior players to set an example for younger ones as they look for that example.

“It does affect things and we need to get players back to push on and get back to winning ways.”

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