HALSTEAD Town manager Mark McLean knows how well his Humbugs side are playing and he wants their home fans to see that with their own eyes as they make a long-awaited return to the Milbank Stadium on Saturday.

Having won their third Thurlow Nunn League division one away game in a row with a 3-1 victory at Norwich CBS last weekend, Halstead are due to return to home turf tomorrow to face Downham Town.

Downham are one of the three sides McLean’s team have beaten on the road, but the reverse fixture will be their first at the Milbank Stadium since January 6 and the Humbugs boss is desperate for their home fans to witness the progress that has been made.

He said: “The next target for Saturday is for the lads to put on a performance for our own supporters.

“We have had good wins in the last three games but they have all been away and we want the home fans to see what we are doing now.

“Our home form has not been as good as our away form, which is a bit strange, so it is very important this weekend to put on a performance in the same way that we have on the road.

“In the last two home games, we have not sent our own fans home happy and that’s not what we want to do.

“We want to get our fans tuned into what we are doing and get them coming to see us in good numbers.

“There are a lot of points to play for still.

“The league position we’re in still hurts me, but we have games in hand over some sides above us and we will be looking to correct that.

“It does still bother me, but we are just concentrating on the next game.

“We know Downham’s threats, but we did well at their place and that result is fresh in our minds, which is good.

“Every game brings different situations, though, and we will deal with it.”

McLean said he expected goalkeeper Matt Walker to be back from a shoulder problem that kept him out at Norwich CBS and Marcus Warren to return after illness sidelined him there, while James Regan would also be back after being unavailable through personal commitments.

However, striker Adam Hampson would have to be assessed ahead of the game after picking up a knock to his knee in Norfolk.

The win at Norwich CBS last weekend was a welcome one for Halstead as it was their first action for almost a month.

A combination of an abandonment and two postponements had denied the Humbugs action for four weeks, but they showed they had lost none of their sharpness in their lean spell and McLean was delighted that they had kept their momentum going.

“It was very very important for us to come back with the win,” added McLean.

“As a management team, we know what we have got and the players have shown at times that they can see it, but they need to sustain a period of strong form to show that.

“But since Boxing Day, I think we have been really good.

“The two wins before the break were strong and to carry that momentum on after the break was massive for me.

“It is all about mindsets when you only have players to work with a couple of hours per week.

“You are limited to what you can change, but you can change the mindset of them and make sure they are positive and I can see that they are now heading in the same direction.

“It wasn’t looking like that before but they are coming together now.

“It has taken a while but I’m seeing it become second nature now with how I want them to play and that is the pleasure I get from managing.”