Make or break for Town

THATCHAM TOWN will need to shake off Wednesday night's Red Insure League Cup exit and get back to winning ways if their season is to avoid the threat of ending as a damp squib.

Thatcham have gone 10 games without a league win - ironically a 2-1 success over Clevedon on December 3 - and that has sent them spinning out of the Evo Stik League Southern play-off placings.

"These two games are really make or break for our season," said manager Gary Ackling, who has added on-loan defender Bradley Pegg from Aldershot Town to his squad and is this week holding talks with striker Charlie Mpi in the hope of bringing him back to Waterside Park.

That is where Thatcham face Halesowen Town on Saturday, another side to have slipped off the promotion pace in recent weeks.

Mark Hughes and James Clark return after missing the midweek cup tie, but Matt Bowler, Scott Rees and Tom Etheridge all miss out.

HUNGERFORD TOWN have no Saturday action but will train on Saturday morning before manager Bobby Wilkinson pitches "eight or nine" of his first teamers into reserve team action against Thatcham's second string at Bulpit Lane in the afternoon.

"They need the game" said Wilkinson, whose side is preparing for a Tuesday night trip to Adams Park to tackle Wycombe Wanderers for a place in the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup final on Monday, May 7.

"We're training hard for it and we want to win," he added. "We know that whatever side they put out, they are full-time and will be fitter and sharper than us."

Wilkinson watched a Wycombe XI take on a Reading side on Wednesday in the hope of catching a tip or two, and with no league game on Saturday, he expects to have a full squad available, barring hamstring injury victim Jon Wheeldon.