Despite them coming down on the wrong side of two narrow defeats, manager Mark Benterman feels his Halstead Town players deserve credit for the way they have played against Wivenhoe Town in recent weeks.

The Thurlow Nunn League division one’s runaway leaders edged the Humbugs out 2-1 at the Maple Tree Cars Stadium to back up their 3-2 win at Rosemary Lane last month.

However, Benterman felt there hadn’t been much between a Dragons side who have dominated the division all year and his own team of promotion-chasers.

He said: “Looking at how close both games were, I don’t think there was much between the two sides over the two games.

“I definitely think we deserved at least a draw at their place.

“We defended two situations poorly, which they capitalised on and margins come down to things like that.

“We switched off early, but grew into the game and were deservedly level at half-time from a penalty.

“They put us under pressure in the second half, but without causing us too many problems and we had a number of chances, but we switched off at a free-kick and didn’t deal with the ball into the box and that hurt us.

“However, a game like that against a side who are winning the league comfortably makes you realise how close we are.

“I’ve spoken to a few people this week and I’ve been a bit annoyed that our boys haven’t been given more credit.

“They’ve taken 27 points from the last 33 and the six points dropped have all been to Wivenhoe.

“In both of those two games we feel we have deserved more and I think the boys should get a lot of credit for that.

“Yes, we’re disappointed to have lost, but we are in exactly the same place as we were before the game.

“I now feel it’s between us and Ely for the third promotion spot as Yarmouth are looking further away, but then everyone has a tough run-in and there will be a lot riding on certain games.

“What we have to do is concentrate on ourselves.

“We have eight games with 24 points to play for.

“Getting anywhere close to the 71 points that we got two years ago will put us close as I believe between 70 and 75 points will be required.

“If we get that and don’t go up then we’ll be unfortunate and those who do go up will have deserved it.”