HAKAN Hayrettin is glad that his Braintree Town team have some strong form to take into a run of “crucial” games that are coming up in the next few weeks.

Despite setbacks against Dagenham and Redbridge and Chester, the Iron have been one of the Vanarama National League’s strongest sides over the past two months.

They are fourth in the league’s form guide over the last eight games in a run that has moved them clear of the relegation zone and are into the last 16 of the FA Trophy. However, manager Hayrettin knows there are big tests coming up and wants his players to carry their form into a tough spell over the next month.

That starts on Saturday with a trip to second-placed Forest Green Rovers.

There will then be an FA Trophy third-round tie against Dulwich Hamlet on and a crunch relegation battle against North Ferriby to start February and Hayrettin is pleased to be taking some strong form into the run.

He said: “We are fourth in the current form table not by chance. We just have to keep grinding out results.

“The boys have earned the right to be there after rebuilding our squad and we’ve had to change the way we play.

“They have had to take a lot on the chin from me. I’m not easy to get on with and I’m a hard task master.

“I tell them how it is, but they have been unbelievable.

“However, we still have a long way to go and the next three or four games are crucial for us. They are big games. We know we have a tough month coming up.”