HALSTEAD Town goalkeeper Jack Cherry knows the Humbugs have the right blend in their squad and management team to battle for the Thurlow Nunn league division one south title this year.

However, he knows how important it is for them to pull together to make sure they all keep moving in the right direction to convert an encouraging first half of the season into tangible success in the second half.

The Humbugs have emerged from their festive fixtures sitting third in the division one south table following a 1-1 draw at Wormley Rovers and a 7-2 hammering of Wivenhoe Town on Boxing Day.

It's a good position to be heading into 2019 in, but they know that their position could be even stronger had they not been the architects of their own downfall in several games towards the end of December.

Points were squandered on a couple of occasions, such as against Little Oakley and title rivals White Ensign, but Cherry is "100 per cent" certain that Halstead can stay in the race and make sure they get over the line in April.

He said: “I know we have enough in the squad to be battling for the title and promotion – 100 per cent.

“But we need to keep racking up points.

“We have a couple of good games coming up over the Christmas period that we know are winnable games.

“If we do that then we’ll be there or thereabouts heading into January and we have to be.

“We have shown it already and have to keep on."

And Cherry is clear about what he thinks it will take for the team to see success in the second half of the campaign.

“It’s going to take us being unified," he added.

“Unity is so important for us.

“There’s a good bunch of lads in that dressing room and we have a good manager, but we just need to believe in ourselves that we are going to go up or even win this league.

“We just need to show it on the pitch and make sure we cut out the mistakes that have been hurting us.

“If we can do that, I firmly believe we are more than capable of being title contenders.

“I know that 100 per cent.

“Every single player in our squad has enough to do that.

“Everyone wants to work for the team and the club and I think we have the potential to do it.

“But we have to take the chances that we create and cut out mistakes at the other end."