WITHAM Town manager Marc Benterman was happy to come away with something to show for his team's efforts from AFC Sudbury after getting no rewards for improved performances in recent games.

The previous couple of outings before last weekend's BetVictor Isthmian League division north clash had seen Witham put in encouraging displays but get beaten, so there was an element of relief that they came away from Sudbury with a point.

It could have been more as Benterman's team had led 3-1 heading into the closing part of the game, but they did well in repelling a late assault from the home side as it finished in a 3-3 draw and the Town boss was pleased to have something tangible to reflect his team's upturn in form.

He said: “Performances have been there and the last game and a half have shown that we are not far away, but we can’t keep saying that each week.

“How we did against Sudbury shows how well we’ve been doing and it’s so important that we don’t just keep saying ‘we played well’.

“We need to put points on the table.

“It doesn’t matter if that’s winning ugly, we just need to put points on the board and taking one at Sudbury is another point closer to where we want to be.

“In the immediate aftermath of that game I was disappointed it wasn’t three, but on reflection, I think you have to say it was an excellent point to take.

“It was a big crowd and there were some colourful comments coming our way but that’s what football is all about and we came through the test.

“The week before, we felt we deserved something against Cambridge, but at Sudbury, on merit, we deserved something again and I was pleased for the lads that it came.

“You can’t keep banging the drum and saying ‘it’s coming, it’s coming’; you have to put points on the board and it was good to see the rewards were there.

“We were disappointed as a group that we couldn’t hold on, but they threw everything at us.

“It was important to get something from it, which we did and I was delighted with that."

Witham now host back-to-back games against Essex rivals Canvey Island at the Simarco Stadium.

The first sees the Gulls visiting in an Isthmian League division north encounter, before they return to Witham on Tuesday when the two will battle for Velocity Trophy honours.

Benterman said Scott Kemp would be unavailable for both games due to personal commitments.

The Witham striker was substituted at Sudbury due to cramp in his hamstring last weekend and the Town boss said he hoped a couple of weeks without action would allow him to rest up.

He added: “I think it was a touch of cramp for Scott and being a physiotherapist myself, I know cramp can lead to fatigue and that could lead to a hamstring pull.

“So we took him off as a precaution.

“He wasn’t going to be available for us this weekend anyway and he’ll now have a rest and we wanted to make sure he’d be ready to go again when he returns.

“It looked like it could have been his hamstring at the start and, as a player, it can be difficult to determine whether it’s a pull or cramp.

“Our physio said he thought it could be a bit of both but Scott now has 14 days to recover.

“We knew he would be out anyway (at Soham) but Brandon McCarthy now has international clearance and he’ll come in for us.

“We saw what he was about in that Tolleshunt D’Arcy Cup match against Heybridge.

“We’re not far off and we’ve said to the group that if there is someone out there who can improve us then we’ll look to bring them in and I think we’ve made some really good signings."