HALSTEAD Town manager Mark McLean hopes his team can extend their recent home form when they play hosts to two big knockout ties in the next few days.

Despite the disappointment of bowing out of the FA Cup at London Colney last weekend, McLean's side bounced straight back to form on home turf when they beat Wivenhoe Town 2-0 in midweek.

That win saw them reclaim top spot in Thurlow Nunn League division one south and extended their victorious run at the Milbank Stadium to four games.

Now McLean is looking for his players to continue that when they entertain Haverhill Borough in an FA Vase first qualifying round tie at home on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), before they host Hashtag United in the first round of the Essex Senior Cup on Tuesday (kick-off 7.45pm).

"We're very much looking forward to two more home games," said McLean.

"We have now won four in a row at home and that's not something I've been able to say too much in my time as manager.

"I said in the summer that I wanted us to be better at home and the Vase game is another one that we want to win.

"We played Haverhill Borough not long after I took over as manager and it was a disappointing day as we had a player sent off and lost 2-0 so we'll be hoping to set that record straight and we'll then look forward to hosting Hashtag United.

"We had two very good games against Hashtag last year and this one will be an interesting one again.

"We'll see how they are now after going up last year."

There were mixed fortunes for Halstead in their last two outings, though, as a 5-0 FA Cup defeat was followed by an impressive 2-0 win against Wivenhoe Town in the league.

Goals by Callum Vincent and Jamie Baker saw the Humbugs dethrone the Dragons to return to the division one south summit and McLean was pleased with his players' response to their loss at London Colney at the weekend.

He said: "We knew Saturday would be tough because we went there so weak. "We had some big players out and three more who weren't fit but we had to put them in.

"London Colney, meanwhile, looked strong and we were told they had six players in from a link-up with Stevenage that they have so it was always going to be tough.

"But I was disappointed by us because I know we could have done more.

"We were a bit limp; we just didn't take the game to them and we got our comeuppance.

"We did have opportunities but the third goal killed it and they picked us off from there.

"If the players learn from it though, then I will accept that and they proved they have against Wivenhoe, because we looked so solid.

"I was extremely pleased with the boys.

"It was a really good game of football and you could see it was two good footballing teams out there. "I always felt we were the better side, but they gave us things to concentrate on defensively. "The first goal was going to massively important. "I didn't feel that we looked like conceding at any point but we have been in that situation before and have done so, so I was very pleased when we went ahead.

"We had to earn the right in the first half and that was so pleasing because falling behind may have brought back demons from Saturday.

"We have now beaten very good Oakley and Wivenhoe sides and I feel we are in a great place, especially with the situation we are in with injuries.

"We will get stronger and stronger and it felt like that against Wivenhoe."