Blues face tough task before Maids showdown

Grove out to complete a league double over promotion-chasers

NEWBURY BLUES have a potentially tricky hurdle to negotiate with Grove on Saturday, when they bid to capitalise on closing the gap at the top of South West One East.

Their win at Chippenham and defeats for Old Patesians and Maidenhead - the latter at Grove - leaves only three points between the clubs with Newbury due at Maidenhead next week.

Blues cannot afford a slip-up prior to that showdown, especially as the south Oxfordshire side beat Blues earlier in the campaign.

“Anyone you speak to will tell you there is an intense rivalry there,” said Blues head coach Lee Goodall. “They want to beat us and vice versa of course. “

“We have to have 80 minutes of concentration and make sure we don’t make any silly mistakes.”

Blues have to make one change to the team that won at Chippenham two weeks ago. In-form winger Cameron Golby-Barr misses out after picking up a hamstring injury while playing for Berkshire under 20s last week, but Mike Walker is back from suspension to plug the gap, while Ollie Spanswick and Josh Bartlett are awaiting fitness clearances…

Saturday’s kick-off has been brought forward to 2.30pm to guard against the main Monks Lane pitch failing to be ‘matchy-fit’ in which case the game will be played ‘up the hill’ on an outside pitch.