SHRIVENHAM manager Sam Collier is expecting an almighty tussle with Highworth Town when the two sides do battle in the Hellenic League Premier Division today.

The struggling Barrington Park outfit will be hoping to upset the formbook when they make the short trip to the Elms.

But given that last season, John Fisher’s men fell to a 3-2 loss, Collier and Co are capable of an upset.

“We will be huge underdogs for that game but it is just like any other game for us really - it just so happens that it is a local derby,” Collier said.

“We will prepare properly and hopefully we will turn up and have a go.

“At the end of the day, we are not going to get fazed and bothered about who we are playing. We have just got to concentrate on our own game now.

“I’m not going to get involved in any of that non-league local derby stuff. It’s another game and an opportunity for us to pick some points up.

“If we get anything there at all then it will be fantastic, but it will certainly be an uphill task for us.”

Wootton Bassett Town make a trip to the Stroud Valleys and will be looking to sink Brimscombe and Thrupp.

Paul Braithwaite’s side head into the game following a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Abingdon United.

“I watched them play Shrivenham the other week, when they won 3-2, and obviously they have had a bit of chop and change of managers,” the Bassett boss said.

“We said at the start of the season that you have to win the games against the teams around you and that is where you pick your points up.

“The teams that are in the top ten; they are the teams where you go and get your bonus points.

“If you beat them, that keeps them below us and away from us and that will get us the goal we are looking for this season - to stay out of that bottom half.”

  • NEW College boss Mark Teasdale will be looking for his side to build on their recent good form when they tackle local rivals Purton in Division One West this afternoon.

The students have won their last two matches, scoring eight goals in the process, but Justin Miller’s outfit are pushing for a place in the top four.

However, Teasdale feels that his side have it in them to end 2014 in flying fashion.

“We’ll go into the game looking for three points to end the year on a high,” Teasdale said.

“If we can string four wins together by January 3, then hopefully we will be in or around the top six.

“It is a local derby but this is down to the boys because we won’t have trained at all this week, so I am hoping they’ve laid off the turkey.

“It’s a local derby, so I would hope the players’ preparations are good. Yhey should know what they are doing and I am hoping we turn up and we are full of the joys of Christmas.”

Fairford Town chief Gareth Davies will be hoping that his side can start picking up points after a difficult first half of the season.

The Cinder Lane men haven’t tasted success in the league since the end of October, leaving them fourth-from-bottom ahead of today’s visit from Cirencester Town Development.

“It is a massive game for us; Cirencester Development at home before we play New College,” Fairford manager Gareth Davies said.

“It is still very tight and I think if you get on a good roll, you can certainly move up the league but we need to get some momentum going a bit sharpish.

“We’ll have a few lads back. We had three lads pull out last Friday so we were down to the bare bones. We’ll just prepare the same as always and hopefully people will put a shift in.”