Another away trip and finally we're playing a team in the bottom 4 although I reckon Cheltenham are more like a mid table team who have had a tough start and who should survive this season no problem.
They've been close in every league game they've played this season:
A narrow 2 - 3 home defeat to Posh (6th) after going 2 up
A narrow 1 - 2 home defeat to Oxford (11th) having led in a feisty match with 2 sendings off
A 1 nil away win at Exeter (7th) - smash and grab as they were battered
A 0 - 0 away draw at Fleetwood (15th) in a bad-tempered stalemate
A 0 - 2 home loss to Pompey (2nd) - although they had their chances
A narrow 1 - 0 away defeat to Barnsley (10th) - they were poor
A 2 - 2 away draw at Vale (17th) with a late equaliser
They can compete - and have run the "top 10" teams close, so their position belies their strength IMO.
Cheltenham seem to start really well - which could be problematic for us as we tend to start slowly.
They have lively strikers in Nlundulu and Alfie May - although May isn't firing on all cylinders yet this season, much like our strikers.
They are big, strong and athletic as we know from our previous recent encounters with them.
This is not a game for complacency based on their (false IMO) league position - it's probably going to be a battle and I'd be inclined to start both Thomason and MJ and worry about amping up the creativity later in the game, but I've given up trying to second guess Evatt's starting selections.
It will be close but I'm hoping that we get the performance and tactics to do the job.
1 - 2 away win hopefully - the same result we achieved at the Jonny Rocks Stadium when we were in top form at the end of last season (they drew 2-2 at our place)
They've been close in every league game they've played this season:
A narrow 2 - 3 home defeat to Posh (6th) after going 2 up
A narrow 1 - 2 home defeat to Oxford (11th) having led in a feisty match with 2 sendings off
A 1 nil away win at Exeter (7th) - smash and grab as they were battered
A 0 - 0 away draw at Fleetwood (15th) in a bad-tempered stalemate
A 0 - 2 home loss to Pompey (2nd) - although they had their chances
A narrow 1 - 0 away defeat to Barnsley (10th) - they were poor
A 2 - 2 away draw at Vale (17th) with a late equaliser
They can compete - and have run the "top 10" teams close, so their position belies their strength IMO.
Cheltenham seem to start really well - which could be problematic for us as we tend to start slowly.
They have lively strikers in Nlundulu and Alfie May - although May isn't firing on all cylinders yet this season, much like our strikers.
They are big, strong and athletic as we know from our previous recent encounters with them.
This is not a game for complacency based on their (false IMO) league position - it's probably going to be a battle and I'd be inclined to start both Thomason and MJ and worry about amping up the creativity later in the game, but I've given up trying to second guess Evatt's starting selections.
It will be close but I'm hoping that we get the performance and tactics to do the job.
1 - 2 away win hopefully - the same result we achieved at the Jonny Rocks Stadium when we were in top form at the end of last season (they drew 2-2 at our place)