WIVENHOE TOWN boss Mo Osman hopes his side have broken an unwanted trend – and believes it should give them confidence heading into tomorrow’s FA Vase showdown against HOLLAND FC.

The Dragons have taken the lead in their last three Thurlow Nunn League matches, against Histon, Haverhill Borough and Ipswich Wanderers.

However, they finished with just one point from a possible nine after seeing their advantages overturned in two of those fixtures.

It looked like the pattern might continue when Burnham Ramblers cancelled out Gary Burdett’s goal, in Wednesday’s Essex Senior Cup second-round tie at the GMP Plant Hire Stadium.

But Wivenhoe were not prepared to let the same thing happen again and Jake Egner popped up with a well-taken winner to secure a 2-1 victory.

“We’d actually played better in our previous three games and felt hard done by to only come away with one point from those matches,” Osman told the Gazette.

“We did enough to win all three, especially having got ourselves into winning positions.

“A pattern had developed whereby we took the lead but still ended up dropping points.

“When Burnham then equalised in the week, we thought ‘here we go again’.

“But thankfully we managed to score again and found a way to get over the line.

“We learnt from our previous mistakes and were mentally and physically stronger.

“We stuck together and ground out the result, which made a nice change from coming off feeling we’d played well but not got the result we deserved.

“There was an element of good fortune, because they missed a penalty.

“But hopefully what happened will stand us in good stead going forward because we can’t afford to keep letting leads slip.

“It was a problem last season, too.

“There were so many occasions when we went in front but ended up losing or drawing.

“I reckon it cost us 20 points.”

Wivenhoe have a Vase first-qualifying round date with north Essex neighbours Holland tomorrow (kick-off 3pm).

It’s an eye-catching fixture but Osman said: “I’m treating it like any other game and try not to put more emphasis on any one fixture.

“Anything can happen on any given day and we’ve just got to make sure we perform to the best of our ability.

“If we can produce a positive performance and do ourselves justice, hopefully it will be enough to get our name in the hat for the next round.

“But if we keep believing in ourselves, keep created chances and keep defending well, as a team and unit, then hopefully things will change.

“We’ve got it in our locker to win more games and we’re a new team, still learning and getting used to playing together.

“Things are coming together and there’s a good atmosphere within the group.”

Elsewhere in tomorrow’s Vase matches, the only match between two all-Thurlow Nunn League premier division teams sees FC CLACTON host COGGESHALL TOWN.

HALSTEAD TOWN are away to Long Melford while free-scoring BRANTHAM ATHLETIC head to Redbridge.