Manager Mel Mattless has urged his March Town players to enjoy a daunting run of fixtures.

The Hares face the top three teams in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division standings on the next three Saturdays.

The tough spell begins when they host table-topping Coggeshall Town at the GER Ground tomorrow, 3pm, and another home fixture, against third-placed Diss Town, follows next Saturday (January 21).

March then complete the month with a visit to Stowmarket Town, who currently sit second, on Saturday, January 28.

Mattless said: “We’ve been poor in the first half of recent games and stepped it up in the second half.

“We need to focus on producing 90-minute performances in the games we have coming up rather than just showing what we’re about in patches.

“We’re up against it in terms of injuries, but these are the sort of big games that will give our young lads great experience.

“We have the opportunity to test ourselves against the best teams at our level, and I’ll be telling the players to make sure they really enjoy them.”

March picked up their first point of 2017 last Saturday when drawing 1-1 at AFC Sudbury Reserves.

New signing Toby Allen climbed off the bench to fire the Hares ahead just before the hour.

The teenage striker, a star of the club’s Under 18 side, made an instant impact after being snapped up from Cambs League outfit Outwell Swifts.

March were pegged back by a freak equaliser in stoppage time, but Mattless was quick to admit a draw was the right result.

He added: “It was great to see Toby go on and get a debut goal, but a shame that we couldn’t hold on for the win.

“The late goal was a bit of a fluke.

“Their lad looked up to cross it, and the ball ended up flying into the top corner.

“Overall a point apiece was about right, but it is always a sickener to concede so late in a game.”

March remain 16th in the First Division.