Hornchurch boss Daryl McMahon says this weekend's National League South clash with Torquay United is a good benchmark for the club.

Urchins welcome the Gulls to Bridge Avenue on Saturday, having visited Boreham Wood in midweek.

And McMahon was only too aware of the challenge facing his squad, promoted from the Isthmian League last season, against rivals who have been plying their trade more recently in the National League.

"That's what the league is about," McMahon told the club website.

"I think we've adapted to the league really well, in terms of us being a team that's very competitive.

"We'd like to go one step further, whether it's this season or next season, that we can be competing at the top of the table.

"We know playing Boreham Wood Wednesday night, who will probably be everyone's favourites to win the league and rightly so with the squad they've got, the manager [Luke Garrard] and facilities they've got, it's a very big club at this level.

"And to follow that, Torquay here, they're two tough games but two great games for us. We've got nothing to lose going into those games.

"We're going to enjoy them, work hard and show there's things we can do as well and look where we're at, they're good benchmarks for us."

Urchins had to settle for a point from a goalless draw with Bath City last weekend.

George Saunders went closest in the first half as he hit the inside of a post from a free-kick.

And Scott Kashket grazed an upright in stoppage time, while Liam Nash was denied by a stunning save from Harvey Wiles-Richards with the last kick of the game.

It left McMahon's in 19th place with 13 points from 12 games, ahead of their trip to Boreham Wood.

And the boss tried to look at the positives, adding: "I thought we played really well, from start to finish, created a number of chances and on another day it could've been a very different scoreline.

"I'm very disappointed we haven't taken the three points. I feel like I've said that quite a few times this season.

"We're a team that should have six more points than we actually have. But I think the performance level was really good, which is positive.

"It was positive to get people back in the team as well, Gibbo [Harry Gibbs] back, Charlee [Adams], Nashy back in the squad.

"Hopefully now we've got some consistency with the players availability for us to move forward."

*Hornchurch have been handed a trip to Maldon & Tiptree in the BBC Essex Senior Cup.

The third-round tie is set to be played on November 4.