MANAGER Marc Benterman feels his Witham Town team have seen the benefits in their last two games of reverting to a system that brought them success at the start of the season.

While Witham have been beaten in those games - a 2-1 BetVictor Isthmian League division north game against Cambridge City and a 3-2 Tolleshunt D'Arcy Cup loss to Heybridge Swifts - Benterman has been buoyed by his team's performances.

He said he has switched from a more defensive line-up that was adopted in the wake of a tough 5-0 hammering by Maldon & Tiptree earlier in the campaign to the more attacking formation that saw his side make such an encouraging start to the season.

Benterman said it was the chastisement of that defeat at Maldon that brought the initial change but he and his staff have analysed their performances since and they feel confident to move back to their initial plan.

So he has been delighted to see it bear fruit in the displays in their last two games and while they weren't the results he and his players wanted, he feels they are in a good place to move forward in coming weeks - starting with a trip to AFC Sudbury in the league on Saturday.

Benterman said: “We changed our formation after we went to Maldon & Tiptree earlier in the season and we got taught a footballing lesson.

“We said we would change it after that to make sure we were not so open.

“But we’ve looked at the stats and it’s clear that we play so much better in the formation that we faced Heybridge in.

“So we’ve reverted back to that and it showed on Saturday and it showed on Tuesday that we are back and things are going nicely.

“We have brought Ollie Emsden back in because we’ve changed the system.

“We look like we’re going to score in every game and we are a threat.

“Cambridge said what a tough team we are to play against and if we can keep this momentum going then it will bring points in coming weeks."

Benterman said two mistakes in the first half against Cambridge got punished, but he was pleased to see a robust response after the break from his team, even if they were unable to add to Marcus Bowers' 58th minute goal as it finished 2-1.

“We had two mistakes in the first half and got punished," said the Witham boss.

“We didn’t clear our lines for the first goal, didn’t press and a cross looped in over the goalkeeper and the second one, we didn’t get tight enough and their player turned and got a shot away.

“But after that there was only one side in it.

“Unfortunately, you can’t make too many mistakes at this level.

“We are learning that very quickly and have had a number of choice words so hopefully the penny has dropped at last.

“We were absolutely outstanding in the second half and I think the fans appreciate the effort that these lads are putting in."