Town's 'Mission Impassable' at the top
Sholing visit in first versus second clash - Hungerford wait on Royals goalkeeper - Newbury on revenge mission
IT WILL be 'mission impassable' for Thatcham Town on Saturday when they entertain second in the table Sholing at Waterside Park intent on keeping their place at the top of the Evo Stik League Southern table.
Tuesday's niught's goal-less draw at Wimborne took Thatcham back to top spot with a game in hand on their rivals, but they face a testing couple of weeks with this game and then a trip to Bideford the following Saturday on the horizon.
Sholing are the in-form side in the division after recording six straight wins, but that is no surprise to Thatcham manager Gary Ackling. "I know they had an indifferent start," he said, "but they are a good side and I always expected them to be up at the top.
"But we're top for a reason," he added. "You get to the top with consistency and that's what we've got.
"We've only conceded 10 goals in 17 games and have 40 points, and that's a good record."
Thatcham hope to have front man Sean Cook recovered from a toe injury and Matt Bowler and Robbie Sadler back form illness. Paul Taplin also missed the midweek game after his car broke down en route, and Scott Rees, Sam Tucker, Gareth Thomas and Tom Melledew are all back from suspension and Mark Hughes and Shane Kingston play their final games before starting bans.
HUNGERFORD returned to winning ways against Halesowen last week and go to Tiverton Town on Saturday looking to capitalise on the teams above them dropping points.
But first they must wait on acquiring a new goalkeeper on loan from Reading after the groin injury sustained by Stuart Wood in that match ruled him out for up to a month. And with previous loanee Stuart Moore and regular Michael Watkins also on the treatment table, Hungerford have turned to Reading goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo to direct one of his number to the west country for the game.
"Apart from that, we're at full strength," said manager Bobby Wilkinson. "But we were back to being ourselves on Saturday and nothing was going to let us be beaten.
"Now we have to carry that on this week."
NEWBURY boss steve Melledew has the choice of three in-form strikers at his disposal for the quick return with Penn and Tylers Green in Buckinghamshire on Saturday.
Darren Jones, Kalief Madden and Jeff Kalejaiye all netted in the midweek 5-1 win at Didcot Town Reserves and Newbury now aim to avenge their 3-2 home reverse at Penn's hands two weeks ago, their only league defeat of the season to date.
