DESPITE their visitors being on an impressive run of form, Halstead Town manager Mark McLean says his team’s focus will be on just one thing tonight - themselves.

A mouthwatering local derby is in prospect at the Milbank Stadium on Friday evening (kick-off 7.45pm) when third-placed Halstead host the side one below them in the Thurlow Nunn League division one south table - Harwich & Parkeston.

The Shrimpers, whose last defeat came with a 3-2 loss to Halstead in October, will arrive on the back of a run that has seen them win every one of their last 12 fixtures to equal a post-war record of success for the coastal club.

However, they will face a Halstead side riding high themselves after a 5-0 win at Fire United last weekend that extended their own strong form and McLean sees no reason for any focus within the Humbugs camp to be on anything other than themselves.

“It has the potential to be an amazing game to watch,” he said.

“Harwich are in a good moment and if you look at the scoring charts, we are top and they are third, so there are goals there for both teams.

“We were the last team to beat them and, with a few players missing, I felt we were good value for the win on that day.

“But they scored in the 94th minute then and that shows they just keep going and going so we will have to work very hard.

“There will be moments for both sides as both are dead set on getting the win.

“It will be a big atmosphere, but how we deal with that is simple - we have to want to win it more.

“We had a sticky patch in December, but we came through that losing just one game and we have scored 13 goals in our last three games while only conceding two.

“I respect the run that Harwich have had, but that’s not our focus.

“Our focus is solely on us.

“We’ve been receiving so many compliments from opponents for the way that we’ve been playing and that can bring its own dangers, but our players are loving it.”

McLean said that last weekend’s hat-trick scorer Tom Cook and Connel Dunlop may not be available for the visit of Harwich, but he had a strong squad to choose from with Charlie Pleace and Garry Burdett both returning to contention after injuries.

Halstead will know that they have let points slip away in their last two home games, but McLean said that’s not in the thinking of anyone.

“I think we have got past that; it’s not anything that we have talked about to be honest,” he added.

“We know there are points we have let go at home, but we’re not concentrating on that at all.

“There is so much positive energy about us. We are just looking for the next three points.

“We know what to expect and what the opposition are about, but we are only concentrating on ourselves.

“I cannot wait for it.”