Halstead Town manager Mark Benterman wants his team’s second half-display at Downham Town to be the blueprint for tonight’s Essex derby against Wivenhoe Town at Rosemary Lane.

The Humbugs head into the game on the back of a 3-2 Thurlow Nunn League division one win at Downham last weekend when they came back from a two-goal deficit with a superb second-half response and Benterman wants to rekindle that spirit tonight.

He said: “We said to them at half-time that they had 45 minutes to save their season.

“Had we lost or drawn that game, it would have been harder to get where we want to go, but now, get a result tonight and we will only be two points behind third place.

“Everyone worked their socks off in that second half at Downham, but we have to start like that tonight.

“We have nothing to lose.

“We are unbeaten in five games now and we have to have the same mentality as we had in the second 45 minutes last weekend.

“We don’t fear anyone at this level.

“Wivenhoe went to Yarmouth and said they were happy with a point there last weekend, but we went there and felt we should have got three points so there’s no reason why we should fear Wivenhoe.

“What it is, is a game that we can’t lose, but we won’t settle for a point – we want all three and we want to be the first team to beat them in the league this season.

“There are big incentives there for us – not only being the first to beat them, but to close the gap on the sides above us.”

Meanwhile, Benterman said he was delighted to have captain Ricky Spriggs back available for tonight’s action as he had been missed at times at Downham and the manager was even more pleased that his skipper had turned down a potential Ryman League move this week.

The Humbugs boss said: “We had Ricky Spriggs out at Downham and there was a period when the defending wasn’t what we have come to expect from the lads.

“It has been a strength of ours recently and I think it showed the impact of having Ricky there.

“It’s not until you take him out that it shows the benefit of him being there, so we are pleased to have him back for tonight and especially pleased that he has opted to stay at the club rather than take up an offer this week of joining Witham Town.

“We named him captain a few weeks back and he is enjoying that.

“I’m more than happy to have a character like him around the place and pleased on many fronts that he is staying with us.”