Rovers hope to break bad run after break
Tuffley Rovers will host Corsham Town in a Uhlsport Hellenic League, Premier Division fixture at Glevum Park on Saturday (3pm KO) looking to end an abysmal run of form which has seen them lose their last nine competitive fixtures, including a run of eight consecutive league defeats.
Manager, Rich Cox, has had time to reflect as his side have had a two week break from action since their last defeat, against Lydney Town on 4 December, and he will hope that the time between fixtures will give his young squad a chance to regain their poise and recover their form.
Jamal Lawrence, who last played and scored the winner when Rovers won, away at Westfields on 26 October, is set to return after injury but Rovers most experienced player, Warren Mann, is ruled out of the game. Cox has added Scott Nicholls to his squad during the gap in play and another new signing, Jurek Marszalek, is fit to play after recovering from an injury picked up shortly after he signed for the club. Brennan Denness-Barrett and Sam Mendes are suspended, so Matt Butler has been called up from the Development Squad, after scoring nine goals in eleven games this season.
Corsham Town arrive at Glevum Park having already recorded one victory over Cox’s men this season – a 2-0 victory when the teams met on 14 August – and sitting seventh in the table, with 42 points from their 22 league games. Much of their recent success has been founded on an impressive defensive record which has seen them concede just 20 goals in the league.
For Rovers that presents a particular challenge, as they have currently gone 450 minutes without scoring in the league (when a 90th minute own goal offered little consolation in the defeat at home to Thornbury Town) and it is now a little over six weeks since Joe Shutt was the last player to score a Hellenic League goal for the team.
Cox will definitely be hoping for some Christmas cheer as he side play their penultimate game of 2021.
The official match-day programme is, as ever, available online and printed copies will be available at the turnstiles.
