BRAINTREE Town chairman Lee Harding says the club are still receiving high calibre applications for the position of Iron manager and they will continue to review them before making a decision over who will be their new permanent boss.

Hakan Hayrettin is in caretaker charge at the moment and will lead the side when they head to Barnet in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on Saturday, but it is only a temporary appointment at the moment following the departure of Brad Quinton two weeks ago.

Hayrettin has made no secret that he would welcome taking the position full-time if given the opportunity and a 4-0 Essex Senior Cup win followed by a 2-2 draw at Vanarama National League leaders Salford City last weekend strengthened his hand in that regard.

However, Harding said the quality of applications had been impressive.

He said: "We have had over 120 applications for the job, which is great.

"At the start of next week, we will look to start drawing up a short list and then make a decision whether we take it forward in regards to interviews.

"At the moment, Hakan is in the caretaker role and if we keep winning then I'm sure the board and the fans will be pleased by that.

"It was not just the result at Salford that was impressive - I actually thought we deserved to win - but it was the nature of the performance with how well we played and took the game to a team who are top of the league with all the resources they have.

"It was encouraging, but we now have another big test on Saturday in the FA Cup.

"But the quality of those applying has been very good and I think that's a reflection on the fact that we made public the £40,000 salary for the position in the advert that we put out.

"We have been getting people who are up and coming number twos in the Football League and people who have managed in our own league because they have seen that it's not just expenses that we are paying; it is a proper job. "We've also had academy managers from senior Championship and Premier League clubs as well as that's very positive.

"Some of them may not have had first team managerial experience, but the quality has been very high."

Meanwhile, Harding said he was hoping to see a large contingent of Braintree fans when they travel to Barnet on Saturday, thanks in large part to an offer by Hayrettin to sponsor the coaches that will be taking the Iron's supporters to the Hive.

With entry costing just £10 for adults, £5 for those over 65 or aged between 18 and 21 and £1 for under-17s, the Iron chairman said it could be a cheap day for fans and urged people to contact the club quickly if the wanted to take advantage of the free travel offer.

He added: "Hakan's generous sponsorship has been well received and we thank him for that.

"We've already got two coaches filled and are taking bookings for a third now so I'd advice people to get in touch as soon as possible if they want to travel with us."

Anyone wanting to book a place on the coach should send an email to chairman@braintreetownfc.org.uk