WIVENHOE TOWN boss Mo Osman says he and his players will take tonight’s derby at STANWAY ROVERS in their stride - and treat it like any other Thurlow Nunn League contest.

The neighbours are set to cross swords in an early-season premier division derby at The Hawthorns.

It will be the first for a couple of seasons, as the Dragons were in division one last year.

However, Osman wants his players to “play the match, rather than the occasion” and says he is too long in the tooth to get carried away.

“Previous games against them and what’s gone before is irrelevant,” he said.

“It’s about what happens on the night and who wants it more, who gets that little bit of luck and who takes their chances. That side will win the game.

“We certainly won’t fear them. We never have and will go there to try and get the points.

“I look forward to all games, in all honesty, and try not to categorise them, saying some are more important than others.

“It’s nice to beat them, because they’re a local side, but it’s all about getting three points, regardless of who we’re playing.

“I try not to get carried away when it comes to any local derby.

Stanway are a good side and they showed that last season.

“But that’s in the past now, as is the fact we won our league. It means nothing.

“We’ve got to go out and try and win a game of football – as we do every week.

“The objective is always the same and that’s where you can get caught out sometimes.

“You end up playing the occasion more than the football match.

“We’ve got to play to our best, take our chances and defend well at the other end.”

Osman believes there is more to come from his side, who have drawn their opening two matches.

“Personally, I don’t think we’ve got going yet,” he said. “There’s a lot more to come.

“The players aren’t at 100 per cent yet. It’s more like 80 or 90.

“When we get some consistency, in terms of the same players playing week in, week out, people will start to see the best of us.

“We’ll start to dictate games more, whereas our first two have been very see-saw.

“They’ve been ding-dong battles where we attack and then they attack.”

Angelo Harrop’s Stanway will head into the derby in good heart, after posting their first victory of the season on Saturday, beating Walsham-le-Willows 3-2.

Elsewhere, on a busy night of Thurlow Nunn League football, FC CLACTON entertain Ipswich Wanderers at the Rush Green Bowl.

The Seasiders were hit for six at Newmarket Town on Saturday.

And it means they have shipped 18 goals in their opening three premier division matches, in addition to another five in the FA Cup extra preliminary round tie against Eton Manor.

BRANTHAM ATHLETIC are at home to Felixstowe & Walton.

In division one, HALSTEAD TOWN, who felt they dropped two points from a 1-1 draw at March Town United on Saturday, are at home to Stowmarket.