Braintree Town manager Alan Devonshire knows his team will have to make more of the opportunities they create when they face Woking tomorrow than they did in their Boxing Day clash with Cambridge United.

If the Amlin Stadium ground staff can repair the damage done to the pitch after the Iron’s 3-0 defeat by the U’s and there isn’t any further waterlogging, Braintree will have a chance to inflict their first Blue Square Bet Premier home and away double of the season.

It is likely that they will have to do without captain Kenny Davis as he recovers from an illness that laid him low over Christmas, but Braintree will have full-back Ryan Peters returning to contention after serving a one-match ban.

The defeat by Cambridge meant the Iron weren’t able to build on the pre-Christmas form that had seen them lift themselves clear of the Conference drop zone.

Devonshire wants his players to get back to the high-tempo football that brought wins against Southport and Forest Green Rovers and how they started against Cambridge, but knows they have to be more clinical in front of goal.

“High tempo is the only way we can play,” he said.

“We can’t play slowly with slow build-up because we aren’t good enough to do that.

“We have to play the way that works for us.

“It has to be done at a good tempo and that’s how we’ll play on Saturday.

“The Cambridge defeat is gone now.

“I didn’t feel it was a 3-0 game, but we have to get on with it and move forward.

“We started off really well again and created a few chances.

“If one of those had gone in early in that 15 or 20 minute spell then it might have been different.

“To be fair they defended really well all throughout and we ran out of ideas.

“Goals give you confidence to push on and when they scored the second one it gave them a lot of confidence and changed the game.

“I think our confidence is fine, though.

“A 3-0 defeat looks bad but we’ve had nine corners to their one.

“That shows we had plenty of possession, but we didn’t hurt them enough and it’s something we have to work on.”