BRAINTREE Town manager Glen Driver insists that the Essex Senior Cup is a competition that he wants to see his team go a long way in this year.

Having led his previous club - Leiston - to county triumph in the Suffolk Senior Cup, Driver is well aware of the effect that a good run can have on a team and a club and he is keen to replicate that at Braintree.

The Iron booked their place in the fourth round of this year's Essex Senior Cup with a 2-1 victory against BetVictor Isthmian League division north side Tilbury at Cressing Road on Tuesday to extend their strong recent run of results.

It was a fifth consecutive home victory and Braintree head to Tonbridge Angels on Saturday unbeaten in their last six Vanarama National League South games.

That run has lifted them to fifth in the table and Driver appreciates the benefits of keeping his team's run going with their county cup triumph.

He said: "I was asked before the game (against Tilbury) whether we would field a strong side.

"We had a few injury concerns so they were rested for the weekend, but look at the starting line-up and I think it was very strong from us.

"This is a competition that I take seriously and want to do well in.

"Tony (Kinsella) and I won the Suffolk Senior Cup when we were at Leiston and I know what it means. "It gives you bragging rights over the whole county.

"Billericay Town and Chelmsford City have won it in recent years and it can hurt you if you don't take a competition like this seriously.

"It's a bit like when Premier League clubs play weakened teams in the League Cup or FA Cup and you can unstuck if you do that.

"We certainly haven't treated it like that.

"We are still feeling wounded from exiting the FA Cup; we want to go as far as we can in this competition and we have sat down with the lads and made that clear to them.

"Beating Tilbury means it's another progression in a cup competition and we want to go further so I'm excited to see who we will draw in the next round."

Braintree have taken 16 points from their last six league games, which has placed them an impressive second in the National League South's form table, but Driver is under no illusion that Saturday's trip to second-from-bottom Tonbridge Angels will be a testing encounter.

"We seem to be playing our best football away from home at the moment, but we know Tonbridge Angels will be a tough game," added the Iron boss.

"We haven't been at our best in the last two, but I always think it is the sign of a good team if you're winning games when not at your best.

"Looking at the table, you'd say we are favourites, but we were favourites when we went to Enfield in the FA Cup and also against Tilbury in the Essex Senior Cup in the week.

"Tilbury worked their socks off and gave us a tough game so we know we have to be right when we head to Tonbridge because it's going to be a tough tough game."