BRANTHAM Athletic boss Tony Hall has admitted January could be the most crucial month the club have ever faced.The Ridgeons League First Division side are once again pushing for promotion to the Premier Division.

Elvin King

BRANTHAM Athletic boss Tony Hall has admitted January could be the most crucial month the club have ever faced.

The Ridgeons League First Division side are once again pushing for promotion to the Premier Division.

But having fallen away last season when well placed, Hall hopes there is no repeat performance, but he knows it is going to be tough.

“January is likely to be a make-or-break month for this football club,” Hall said.

“We have six or seven games, including ones against teams like Clacton, Yarmouth and Halstead. We have a Senior Cup tie to fit in and I honestly think that by the time we get to the middle of February, if we've won them all, we could be on our way to being promoted.

“At the start of the season we were talking about getting promotion, we were determined to give it a good go, and why not?

“I think if we went up we could do okay, but we've got to do it first.”

Brantham travel to FC Clacton today, with both sides chasing leaders Great Yarmouth at the top of the table.

All three teams have lost just one league game this season, but Brantham have games in hand.

“Last season we lost a few games around this time and we fell away. But because we have games in hand, we can afford to lose one or two now and still put ourselves in a good position.”

Not that Hall wants that of course.

Brantham are a young side and have already proved their credentials by losing just 1-0 to CRC - the Premier Division high-flyers, in the FA Vase.

It doesn't gauge everything, but Hall admits it does show something.

“The game against a very good CRC side showed what we can do,” he added.

“They didn't get their winner until the sixth minute of injury time. Of course, whether we could maintain that kind of performance week in, week out, we'll have to see.”