Bury Town boss Ben Chenery has praised his side’s “phenomenal record” of having only lost two league games this season, going into the new year.

The Blues, sitting pretty in third spot following back-to-back festive 2-1 wins over Soham Town Rangers (at home on Boxing Day) and at Cambridge City (away on New Year's Day), will be gunning for a hat-trick of successes at home to mid-table Canvey Island this afternoon.

"It was important to win at Cambridge City, to make sure our intentions are clear for the rest of the season, because we want to be relentless and record as many wins as possible," said Chenery.

"We want to stay in the top five, but the new year poses us a new set of problems in terms of fixture congestion, which is one thing - the squad will be utilised to the full.

"We also have a lot of tough teams to play, starting with Canvey Island this weekend and then Heybridge Swifts (away on Saturday week), and also away at Aveley (Monday, January 13).

"Then we go midweeks all the way through to February. We just want to make sure that we push away from the team in sixth place (just outside the play-off zone).

"That is our intention, to cement our position in the top five and then see where that takes us.

"It was a really important win for us on New Year's Day, with other teams around us looking at that result, to make sure they are under no illusions that we are at it - we are at it every single week.

"So our intentions are for more of the same. There's only been a couple of times when we have been defeated, when we haven't been on it. We've been methodical, and we have also been very consistent, that's the main thing.

"It's now past the turn of the year and we have only had two league defeats, which is a phenomenal record for us as a football club.

"This weekend is a chance for us to consolidate further. Canvey Island have not been on the greatest of runs, with two heavy defeats.

"It's a chance for another league double, after getting the first one over Cambridge City, but we are under no illusions as to how tough it will be - Canvey Island are a bit wounded at the moment.

"We love playing at home, with our good home crowd. We want to make sure we are on the front foot, and if you give the fans something to support, then they will get behind you.

"We want to be exciting and expansive at home, while what has helped more this season is that we have also been more resilient away from home. We haven't been so open.

"Our plan has always been to go in at half-time without having conceded, to be in a position to win, as happened at Cambridge City when it was a cold, calculated performance."