'It'll be a good scalp if we can get it' - Gosport Borough boss Shaun Gale relishing league battle with 'one of division's top teams' Hayes & Yeading

Boro dropped out of the top-five following their loss at Poole at the weekend and are swiftly back in action with the visit of third-placed Hayes to Privett Park tomorrow night.

Gale is viewing the fixture as an ideal opportunity to get an understanding of where his Gosport squad are in terms of their play-off push this season against a Hayes side he sees as of the 'top teams in the league'.

And Boro have the added incentive of knowing victory would move them back into the play-off places - as well as taking points of a promotion rival.

Gale said: ‘These are the games as players you want to be involved in - big games against one of the top sides.

‘You want to challenge yourself against the better teams and Hayes & Yeading have shown this season so far that they are one of the top teams in our league. It’ll be interesting to see where we are when we come up against them.

‘They’ve (Hayes) got some very good players, they’ve got some players who’ve played at a higher level, and players who can hurt you - but we’ve got players who can hurt teams as well.

‘We’ve got a game plan, hopefully we can stick to that game plan, we’re at home and we’ve got to try to make that count - the boys will be ready for it.

‘It’s a good game, hopefully we can a decent crowd again - it’s one of the top, fancied teams in the league to go up, so it’ll be a good scalp if we can get it.’

Hayes head to Gosport on the back of a 4-0 weekend win at Swindon Supermarine, although some stuttering recent form has seen them lose four of their past eight league outings.

Boro, beaten for the first time in three matches in 2022 at Poole, remain without Nick Dembele (ankle) while Gale is uncertain whether Josh Huggins will be available after pulling out of the weekend's trip to Dorset minutes before kick-off.