HALSTEAD Town manager Mark McLean says his team will treat their top-of-the-table clash at Hashtag United as they would any other as they look to hold on to top spot in Thurlow Nunn League division one south.

The high-flying Humbugs head to second-placed Hashtag on Saturday on the back of a 5-1 division one south win at Burnham Ramblers last weekend and a 2-0 win against local rivals Cornard United in the first round of the League Cup that set up a second-round date at Holland FC.

They have been results that have extended Halstead's encouraging start to the campaign, but while McLean is aware that there will be interest in the clash between the top two this weekend, he won't be building it up as anything special to his players.

He said: "Every game is important and there's no more importance on this game.

"I know with the way that Hashtag are set up as a club and the exposure on social media that the game will get will probably generate interest.

"The fact they are seven unbeaten and second in the league will add something but for us, it is just another game and we one we need to deal with as we have every other.

"If we keep our thought processes where we want them to be it is just another game.

"On paper it is a mouthwatering one for two teams who are in a good moment and there will be a fair amount of interest, but - and I know it's a cliché - it is only three points that are available.

"It doesn't matter who we play, I want us to go out in every game and dedicate ourselves to getting maximum points."

The Humbugs boss said Mark Dallinger was due to return to the side after being unavailable for the last few games and Jordan Pavett would come back in after missing the midweek action against Cornard United.

McLean also said he was pleased with how Tom Cook was progressing after returning from a hamstring problem and was glad to see him on target in the League Cup game against Cornard.

Cook is one of a number of players who have come back into contention for places in the last couple of weeks and McLean is pleased with the extra depth that he now has to choose from in his squad.

He added: "We've been waiting to have that greater depth to the squad and looking at our selection over the last two games, it has started resembling a first-team much more.

"You could see that when we blew Burnham away in the first half in the league last weekend.

"We didn't take our foot off the gas in the second, but there were some who were feeling the pace because they hadn't had the game time recently and we weren't able to play to the same level, but the four-goal advantage allowed the players to use it to build minutes in their legs.

"It wasn't as fluent but I was OK with that.

"We have been digging out close wins by the odd goal so it was nice to win comfortably this time and you could see the effect of having more people available.

"I don't think we ever really looked in any danger at Burnham.

"Then it was more of the same on Tuesday.

"We flew out of the blocks again and battered Cornard for 20 minutes.

"We got the goal, but a bit of naivety crept in again and we started to go a bit long, but we were better in the second half and always looked comfortable.

"I know there is plenty more to come as we will only get stronger.

"We've got players getting back up to speed and getting minutes into their legs and they will get stronger because of that.

"There will be parts of games - like there was against Cornard and Burnham - where we will not be as fluent, but that will come as players get their levels back.

"We had six players in the side at Burnham who hadn't had much football so the more they play, the stronger we will get."