HAKAN Hayrettin is well aware of the psychology that will be needed to lift his Braintree Town players and keep them fighting for their Vanarama National League survival over the next two weeks.

Results over Easter have left Braintree in the National League’s bottom four with just two games to play and knowing that their future in the top flight of English non-league football will be precarious if they can’t respond positively when they host play-off chasing Barrow on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Having been in this situation as a player during his own career, Hayrettin knows the pressures that are on his team right now and he appreciates the mental stresses that they will be under so he is preparing to make sure they are in the right frame of mind at 3pm on Saturday for what will be a vital encounter.

He said: “We are where we are, but the confidence has to come from us as coaches and the players have responded fantastically.

“I’ve been where they are and I know that psychologically, mind games are played in these situations.

“I have had to change a few things that I’ve said at different times - that I won’t disclose - but everyone has a different button that you have to push. Collectively we have to make sure we push those right buttons and we have to keep believing.

“We have to keep fighting because we have every chance of staying in this division and building for next season.

“That’s what we are aiming to do.

“We have to fight and we have to believe because we’re not out of it.

“We’re definitely not down yet. It will go until the 90th minute of the final game.”