HALSTEAD Town may be riding high on the back of their cup successes so far this season, but manager Mark Benterman knows their return to Thurlow Nunn League division one action today will be their most important game this month.

The Humbugs booked their place in the second qualifying round of the FA Vase with a 3-2 win against Hadley last weekend and then put themselves in the draw for the third round of the Essex Senior Cup with a 5-0 win against Burnham Ramblers on Tuesday.

However, it is their division one game against Team Bury at the Milbank Stadium today that is keeping Benterman’s focus.

While league rivals have been busy putting points on the board during September, the Humbugs’ cup commitments mean the Team Bury game is their only division one outing during the entire month and the manager knows a three-point haul is vital to keep up with the pacesetters in the title race.

He said: “We’ve now had five cup games against teams from league’s above ours and we’ve only lost one so it’s not too bad.

“We’ll take that. But this month is a bit tricky for us as we only have the one league game.

“The rest are cup, so we need to approach Saturday’s game fully focused and make sure we get the result. We need to win it, simple as that.

“It is very important for us purely for the fact that it is our only league game in the whole of September and our only chance to take three points.”

Alongside their FA Vase heroics, Halstead’s cup exploits are making the mood buoyant around the Milbank Stadium, but Benterman is also watchful that confidence doesn’t cross a line into arrogance.

“It has been a fantastic start and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be confident,” he said.

“Our players are playing with confidence, but therein lies the danger as there is always a fine line between confidence and arrogance.

“Sometimes you can relax if you’re too confident and we saw that a bit on Tuesday in the Essex Senior Cup.

“We got the early goal (after just 45 seconds) and I think we thought we could hit cruise control.

“That’s dangerous and you have to turn up and do a professional job.

“We’re enjoying the ride with all the success we’ve been having but we have to keep feet firmly on the ground and take each game as it comes.”

Benterman said he expected some tough selection decisions for tomorrow’s game as he had a fully-fit squad and he was also delighted to have striker Chris Bryan back at the club after the experienced forward rejoined Halstead late last week.

“Chris is absolutely awesome and you could see that against Burnham,” added Benterman.

“He is a menace and puts himself about and the only thing he didn’t do in that game was get a goal. He deserved one with his work-rate and desire, but he’s only going to get fitter and that’s great for us.

“I think he and Sam Cripps will suit each other very well up front.”