Bury Town manager Ben Chenery believes his side’s home clash with Brightlingsea Regent in Ryman North this afternoon will be their toughest fixture of the season to date.

The Blues are unbeaten in seven games this season, having earned four wins and three draws, and face a Regent side that are currently situated in mid-table, seven points behind the west Suffolk side.

However, the Essex team will be buoyed by their performance in midweek, James Webster’s side defeating Premier Division outfit, Leiston, 6-3 in the Ryman League Cup.

“It will be our toughest game to date and I think Brightlingsea will be around the top half and top-eight positions,” said Chenery.

“They will enjoy coming to our place and had a good win at Ram Meadow last season, so we have to make sure we deliver what we have done over the last few weeks.

“I believe we have more to offer with the ball, but we are unbeaten and we want to keep that going.”

Bury finished 13th last season, losing 16 league games, but their solid start suggests that better times could be round the corner.

“We have had some injuries to deal with but we have instilled more resilience and we may have lost some of the games we have taken points from in recent weeks, last season,” Chenery added.

“I think the added resilience has come from a few new faces but we have also managed to keep the group together from last season and they know what we require from them.

“When you have played for a different manager, it takes time for you to get used to your new manager wanting you to do something slightly different.”

Chenery will be without Ollie Hughes for six weeks with a double fracture of his wrist, while influential duo Bradley Barber and Sam Reed will also miss today’s clash.

“We have got a couple of fitness tests too and it is never easy for teams at non-league level,” Chenery explained.

“We have other players that can step in though.”

Elsewhere in Ryman North today, Heybridge Swifts host last season’s Thurlow Nunn Premier Division champions, Norwich United, while Maldon & Tiptree entertain Romford.