Rams hoping to get the better of familiar foes

PETERSFIELD TOWN will be hoping familiarity will bring them some success on their travels this weekend.
Stuart Green. Picture: Neil MarshallStuart Green. Picture: Neil Marshall
Stuart Green. Picture: Neil Marshall

The Rams’ early exit from the FA Cup meant they were going to have a blank Saturday due to no league fixtures being scheduled.

However, they agreed to bring forward their Southern League division one central trip to Marlow from Boxing Day to this Saturday to ensure they had a run of regular fixtures.

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The two sides last met on bank holiday Monday and the Rams put in one of their best performances of the season in the first half of that game to go in at half-time drawing 0-0.

Two defensive mistakes allowed Marlow to snatch two goals in the second half and secure the three points.

Despite that result, manager Andy Neal is keen to play the Buckinghamshire-based side again and feels his players are more than capable of exacting revenge on their hosts.

Neal said: ‘We played really well in the first half when we last played Marlow. We just lost our way a little bit in the second and the game went away from us.

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‘However, we know how they play and what their formation and tactics are now and we believe we can set ourselves up to go there and get a result.

‘They may feel that they know what they need to about us also but things have changed at Petersfield since we last played them.

‘We have a number of new players in the squad since that last fixture and as they bed themselves in we will be able to pull together and keep on improving.

‘I really believe my players have more than enough about them to go to Marlow, put on a good performance and come away with at least a point if not all three.’

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Some may have felt the Rams may have benefited more from a blank weekend rather than taking on a side riding high in the table in seventh place.

But Neal disagrees and was keen for his team to play the contest.

He added: ‘I’ve got a squad of players who just want to go out on the pitch and play at the moment.

‘Playing regularly will do us some good and help us to come together more as a team if we are playing Saturdays and midweeks for a while.

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‘We have already played Marlow so we know what they are about – that familiarity can only help our game this weekend.’

The Rams have been struggling but Dan Simmonds and Stuart Green have netted in recent games to provide a positive.

– GRAEME MOIR