HALSTEAD Town manager Mark McLean is revelling in the demands of the race for promotion from Thurlow Nunn League division one south this season.

The Humbugs have placed themselves top of the division after 15 games and consolidated their position with a 6-0 hammering of local rivals Braintree Town Reserves last weekend.

They now return home on Saturday, when Frenford will be heading to the Milbank Stadium (kick-off 3pm) and McLean knows his high-flying side will be a potential "scalp" for the visitors to take.

But Frenford will be coming up against a confident side who have put ten goals past Braintree and conceded just once in their last two games and that type of form is ticking the boxes for the Halstead boss.

McLean said: "Having focus being at the top comes hand in hand with the desire to get there.

"We were desperate to get there last year, but we couldn't hit our stride until it was too late and I said this year to the players that if we got ourselves into a good position in November and December then momentum would carry us forward.

"But it's not so much position as points that really matter this year.

"The way we understand it is that as well as the champions from each league, the top nine points scorers from all the step six leagues across the country will also get promoted so our points tally is going to be very important this year, not just the position that we finish in.

"Of course we want to win the league this year, but we want to go up.

"We're doing OK so far and have points in the bag and that's what I'd rather.

"There are sides below us who have got games in hand and they can pull up close to us if they win them, but I'd rather have the points on the board.

"Goal difference is also going to be important and to be honest it's a system that suits my mindset and persona down to the ground.

"I want to beat teams not just one-nil, but by sevens and eights and I want my sides to be ruthless.

"I want us to really roll teams over and to play with a high tempo that creates goals, so I'm really enjoying what the league is demanding at the moment."

McLean will now be demanding a ruthless display against Frenford on Saturday.

Halstead have already beaten them once this season, but while it wasn't an emphatic victory in terms of goals scored this time, it was still one that the Humbugs boss valued and he knows his team will have to be on form to get another positive result.

He added: "We have already beaten them, but we were very depleted on the day there.

"We won one-nil, but I was very pleased to keep a clean sheet.

"We know they are a seasoned team who have had some good results so we will need to concentrate because it won't be easy and we will have to be ready for the battle.

"We are a scalp now and we have to manage that."