MANAGER Mark McLean is enthused that his Halstead Town players are relishing the prospect of a massive game at the Milbank Stadium on Saturday.

The second-placed Humbugs, fresh from a rousing 4-1 victory at Hackney Wick last weekend, will be hosting Thurlow Nunn League division one south leaders Hashtag United in a game that could potentially decide where the title goes this year.

Halstead are six points behind the front-runners, but have a game in hand and know a positive result could go a long way to helping their title ambitions.

The stakes are high and a big crowd is expected for the game that kicks-off at 3pm, but rather than shy away from the pressure, McLean and his players are embracing the challenge.

The Humbugs boss said: "It is a game like every other, but it is a big occasion because of where both teams are in the table and we have to lap that up.

"We will embrace this challenge like we have embraced the situation that we find ourselves in.

"We have to enjoy it and we are doing that.

"There are no nerves that I'm seeing from my players, they really are enjoying being in the moment that they are in.

"I can't wait; I've just been wanting the days to disappear until the next game and I'm seeing that exact same emotion from my team.

"That's a great feeling to have."

McLean said he expected Jamie Baker to miss the game with an ongoing foot injury, while Tom Cook was likely to be unavailable.

Just as they did at Hackney Wick last weekend, Halstead will be looking to set the record straight after a disappointing result in the reverse fixture against Hashtag in September.

Despite taking the lead with a Marcus Warren goal, the Humbugs were beaten 2-1 and McLean felt the occasion got the better of his players that day, but he isn't expecting the same to happen this time.

He added: "The most disappointing thing for me on that day at Hashtag was that the occasion got to the boys a bit, but we have learned from that and I have communicated that to them. "It was something that surprised me that day and it won't happen again.

"It is a big game coming up on Saturday, but we have done well against big opponents since then.

"We showed against Harwich that we can rise to it.

"There's nothing harder than breaking someone's momentum and we faced a Harwich side that had won 12 games in a row, but we broke that with a superb display.

"We have to be confident, but we are still mindful of what Hashtag have got."

However, whatever the result on Saturday, McLean knows there are still big games to come for both of the title-chasing pair before either of them can get over the line.

"It's a game that takes on a different perspective because of how both teams are poised," said McLean.

"If you look back at the form guides of both of us over the last 12 games, both us and Hashtag have pretty much identical records and that's why we are linked so closely at the top.

"That's what I wanted; I just wanted to get to this game and for there to be something on it.

"There are four massive games to come after this one, but you can't get away from the fact that it's first against second this weekend.

"The dynamics make it feel like it's the biggest game of the season, but we both have big games coming up after it and we have both had big games coming into it.

"The game for us last week at Hackney Wick was important because I knew their home form was so good and it was one we had to win.

"This is just another game, but the fact that Hashtag are top and we are second means it is exciting and I just hope we can make it a great day for the club and the town.

"Hopefully everyone will come along and have a great day.

"It's not a defining game as both have big games still to come after this one, but it is one that you don't want to lose.

"You just can't lose a game like this."