HIGHWORTH boss John Fisher is having to deal with eight absentees for Saturday’s Hellenic Premier League fixture with Binfield.

Some of the names out include Lewis Page, Ryan King and Chris Flanagan, meaning the Worthians are having to rely on a number of reserves, some with little first team experience.

Lack of squad numbers is something that has been a Fisher has been struggling with recently, with the Elms’ boss repeatedly asking his side to show a bit more commitment to their football.

Injures are something Fisher admits he can little about though and so late in the season signing players is not easy.

“We have got a few absentees,” said Fisher. “It’s not ideal, the squads getting a bit thin, but we’ll just have to deal with it.

“We can’t sign anyone and I don’t think they’d want to come now so late in the season. We’re hoping for a couple back in time for our game with them Herberts up the road (Shrivenham) on Monday. We’ve got lads coming from the reserves which I appreciate but they’re young.

“I’m feeling confident, our problem is the strength in depth, it’s the same lads every game. They love that, they want to be playing every game but they get tired and that but they’d rather have it that way. “ As a manager I can’t change anything, I looked at Wantage’s bench on Tuesday and their manager said we’ve got five lads here with Southern League experience, we don’t have that, we’ve got a couple of young lads but it is it what it is.”

The fixture between the two sides earlier in the season ended in a 1-1 stalemate and Fisher is expecting a similar sort of challenge from the team in fifth place.

“I thought they would be high up the league, they thought they would be pushing top three or four. It’s not quite gone like that but they’ve just overtaken us and they are a decent side.”

Jeff Roberts’ Wootton Bassett Town were consigned to a season without silverware last night as they lost 1-0 in the Supplementary Cup semi-finals to Brimscombe & Thrupp.

Karl Nash scored the only goal five minutes from time as both sides ended the game with 10 men.