Halstead Town manager Jody Brown will be making sure his side are fully focused when they take on struggling Saffron Walden Town on Saturday.

The Bloods sit third from bottom in the Ridgeons League division one table and have gone five games without a win.

But Halstead’s form has also taken a dip lately, with Brown’s side having lost their last three matches.

He is wary of the threat Saffron Walden will pose at Rosemary Lane.

He said: “Saffron Walden may not have had a good time of it lately but nor had Stowmarket and Swaffham when they beat us recently.

“I know that there’s no complacency on our part, that’s for sure.

“At this time of year it’s a case of keeping everyone focused and that’s why you see funny results over Christmas.”

After a promising start to the league season, when they were beaten only once in more than two months, Town have suffered a setback, after losing their last three matches.

Boss Brown had not previously lost back-to-back league games in his managerial career but is sure his side will be able to get back on the winning trail again.

He said: “I’ve never lost three games in a row before as a manager.

“And we hadn’t been beaten away from home in the league since October 20 last season and now we have lost two in a row away from home.

“The confidence has taken a bit of a battering but we’re still playing well.

“We have to remember that we are still a good side.

“My aim is for us to be in the top three by the New Year.”

Brown is hoping key duo Tom Devaux and Steve Daly will both return to the Halstead squad for this weekend’s clash.

The pair both missed the defeat at Diss because of illness.