The FA Cup won’t feature the name of Halstead Town in the draw this year, but manager Mark Benterman feels the disappointment of missing out on a place will drive them on to success this season.

The Humbugs missed out on being in the competition because, even though they finished in the top ten of Thurlow Nunn League division one last year, their points-per-game tally that decides whether teams get a place or not wasn’t high enough.

They were two points short of getting in, but, while he was disappointed for the club’s fans, Benterman was pragmatic about missing out.

He said: “It’s a shame but we don’t see it as the end of the world.

“I’m sorry for the fans because it’s one of the greatest cup competitions in the world and we are gutted not to be in it, but we can’t dwell on it as there’s nothing we can do about it.

“We won’t lose sleep over it and we will aim to put it right this year.

“We’ll use it as a motivation to make sure we get success in the league this year.”