CHARLESTON, S.C. – One month on from the Charleston Battery’s first meeting with Bethlehem Steel FC this season, the hosts for Saturday night’s clash at MUSC Health Stadium (7 p.m. ET | Match Center | ESPN+) are in a very different place to that in which they entered the April 10 encounter.

Back then the Battery were coming off a 5-2 defeat to the New York Red Bulls II, a performance that was the worst defensive display for the club in the USL’s modern era.

Now, Charleston is undefeated in its past five games, and has recorded shutouts in three consecutive outings to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings ahead of this weekend’s action. Coming off a 2-0 victory against the Charlotte Independence last Saturday night on home turf, the Battery are looking to add another win against Bethlehem.

“We’re trying to make sure the guys stay focused and don’t lose any of the momentum we have going right now,” said Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser. “We need to make sure they’re staying on top of it. Obviously, we don’t want that win streak to end at three games, we want to push it to four, five, or six if we can. It’s getting warm down here, so we’re really just trying to push them through it and they’re doing a great job.”

The Battery’s three-game winning streak is the club’s longest in league play in almost two years, with its last streak to reach that length coming between June 18 and July 2, 2016. While Charleston finished second in the Eastern Conference a season ago, the club was able to put together back-to-back victories regularly but would then be halted by a draw or a defeat as a seven-game undefeated streak (5-0-2) was the club’s longest in 2017.

In the club’s victory against the Independence, though, the Battery’s attack continued to do enough to keep the side moving up the standings. Ataulla Guerra’s fourth goal of the season got things going before Victor Mansaray put home his first goal for the Battery since his arrival this offseason to seal the victory. The goal was a boost for the former U.S. U20 international, who has been trying to find his feet after departing Seattle Sounders FC.

“It feels good, especially doing it at home,” said Mansaray. “Whenever we play at home, we expect to win and we want to win, so can’t complain about Saturday’s result. … I just have to come in and do my part. I come in and do what I’m asked to do and last weekend I was able to do that.”

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With Guerra’s form, and others starting to step to the fore, the difference between the Battery side his side faced back at Goodman Stadium and the one it will encounter this Saturday is marked for Steel FC Head Coach Brendan Burke.

“I think now, especially at home, they will come out and try and dictate the game a little bit more,” said Burke during his weekly conference call. “They are still not afraid to win the ball back in their half when you look at where they regain possession, it’s all below the center circle. We have to be very sharp when we enter the middle third and have to do a better job than when we saw them the first time of being incisive when we get into their half by committing numbers.”

With Bethlehem having held a handy edge in shots and possession when the teams first met this season, and Steel FC coming off a big victory itself as it defeated the Richmond Kickers last Sunday afternoon, Anhaeuser is readily aware of what Steel FC is capable of. Having earned three consecutive home wins overall, however, the focus is mostly internal for the Battery in the buildup to the game.

“I think Saturday is going to be more about us,” said Anhaeuser. “I think we need to take our chances when they come. We need to take what we’ve done well offensively these last three weeks and continue to improve in those areas. On the defensive side, our mentality is to get a shutout. If we don’t give up a goal we can’t lose and that’s our mindset when we play here at home. We definitely want to create more chances this game than the one up there, but the defensive focus will be similar.”