WITH the euphoria of their FA Trophy triumph at AFC Dunstable still fresh in their minds, Witham Town manager Mark Ashford is demanding that his players keep their levels high as they return to Bostik League division north action this weekend.

Town are due to head to Great Wakering Rovers on Saturday where they will come up against a side led by former Witham manager Garry Kimble - the man who led them into the Isthmian League premier division in 2014 - and they will travel full of confidence after their FA Trophy heroics at AFC Dunstable.

Sam Ashford's goal proved enough for Witham to win the preliminary round clash on Friday as they set up a first qualifying round tie at Bostik League division south east side Herne Bay on October 27.

Before they head down to Kent, though, Witham have an Essex Senior Cup third round tie at Hullbridge Sports to think about on Tuesday and before that, they will head to Great Wakering and, with his team sat second from bottom in the division north table, Ashford wants to make sure his players keep the level of their performance as high as it was at Dunstable.

He said: "I've reminded the players that the last time we had a strong Friday night performance in the Trophy - against Coggeshall Town - we then did not perform when we faced Bowers & Pitsea eight days later when we returned to the league and I don't want that to be the case when we face Great Wakering now.

"I want them to turn up and show they have learned quickly and show the learning patterns that they have so far.

"I'm expecting us to go to Great Wakering with a real hunger for the game because they players know that our league position is false.

"We are still early in the season and no-one is being negative about a relegation battle, they are just frustrated to be in the position that we are in.

"We have only played two teams in the bottom half so far and have taken four points from six from those games, but I think you can only really start worrying about league positions after 20 games.

"That's when we will know where we really are in terms of the league, but we have now beaten Coggeshall Town, Grays Athletic and AFC Dunstable with three very good cup performances and the players want to show that they are not one-offs.

"They are representative of us as a team and what we are capable of producing but we need to be doing it in the league and we'll be looking to carry on after what was a very positive week for us last week."