Halstead Town’s injury crisis shows no signs of abating and manager Mark Benterman is hoping that the club’s fans understand their predicament as they struggle to stay in the Thurlow Nunn League division one promotion race.

Benterman said he had never known a situation like it, with 16 first-team players either out with injuries or unavailable due to work commitments at the moment.

He said he had four members of his squad playing through the pain barrier, including Ash Baptiste, who was only 25 per cent fit, during their 3-0 defeat by Great Yarmouth Town last weekend.

And Benterman knows he will struggle to field a competitive 11 when they head to fourth-placed Swaffham Town today.

He said: “I’ve never experienced anything like this in all my time in football and the chairman (Jim Holder) is the same.

“If we can get a side out at Swaffham we’ll be lucky as we really are in dire straits.

“There are 15 or 16 out – mainly injuries but also some unavailable."