Braintree Town manager Jamie Day will be looking for his players to work on their defensive shape and organisation as they step up their preseason preparations this week.

Having taken their first steps under Day’s managerial tenure with a 3-0 win at Heybridge Swifts last Saturday and then a 3-1 defeat at Bury Town in midweek, the Iron are due to welcome Gillingham on Tuesday (kick-off at 7.45pm) to the Avanti Stadium.

They had been set to face Southend United at home tomorrow but that game has been postponed because the pitch is still repairing after drainage work carried out earlier in the summer.

The Shrimpers opted not to play but the club are hoping it will be alright for the Gillingham game as Day continues preparing his team.

The opening games against the Ryman League sides so far have been about introducing players and getting Day’s new squad to start gelling together, but the boss admits their League One opponents this week will offer new tests.

Day said: “I’m pleased with where we are.

“We have some good footballers on board and it’s just making sure that we are organised when we haven’t got the ball and doing the other side of it defensively to win the ball back.

“I’m pleased with what I’ve seen in training and I think we’ve passed the ball really well and showed some good touches.

“No disrespect to Heybridge and Bury, but when we play the better teams like Gillingham we see better the areas where we need to focus.

“Look at the early games and there have been times when perhaps the gaps between midfield and defence have been too big and the better teams will pick that off, so that’s something we need to work on.

“There will be times against the better teams when we do get exposed but it’s my job to make sure those gaps aren’t there.”

In the game at Heybridge, Lee Barnard wasted no time in marking the start of his Braintree career as he scored twice in the Iron’s 3-0 win.

The former Southampton striker was on hand to slam home the opening goal in just the first minute as he latched on to a rebound after Michael Cheek’s header had been parried.

He was joined on the scoresheet by Joe Maybanks in the 10th minute and Barnard completed the scoring in the 37th minute by poking the ball in from close range.

The game was followed by a 3-1 defeat at Bury Town on Tuesday, when the Iron’s goal came through an own goal by the hosts.