FAIRFORD Town boss Gareth Davies joked that he may have needed to put up some curtains at training last night as he prepared his side for a big derby with local rivals Purton.

With both sides training on adjacent pitches during the week, Davies jested that he would take precautions to make sure his opposite number Justin Miller didn’t spy on any of his tactics.

“We’ll train in the week and go through a few things, even though Purton will be training on the pitch next to us,” said the Cinder Lane boss before Thursday's session.

“It is all a bit strange because they train on the pitch next to us, so we might have to put a curtain up or something.”

Just two points and one place separate the two sides in the Hellenic League Division One West table, with Fairford above Purton in second, despite having played two games fewer.

Both managers know the importance of the game and with Fairford having not lost in their last six league matches - a run of five wins and one draw dating back to August - Davies is keen to see how far his side have come this season.

“It is a big game and it will be second versus third and we have just got to go into it focused and hopefully we’ll be ready,” added Davies.

“We just need to go in there with our heads in the right place because in a derby, anything can happen.

“If we set up correctly and go with the plan then that should start us off on the right foot.

“If we play half as well as we have been recently, then we should win the game.”

“I think the players realise that it is a big game and it is important and it certainly will give us a benchmark for how far we have come recently. If things don’t go well, then we’ll know what we need to do to put it right.”

Elsewhere in the league, New College Swindon travel to Cirencester Town Development knowing a win could put some daylight between themselves and the bottom two.

Meanwhile, bottom-of-the-league Shrivenham travel to Finchampstead, who knocked Fairford out of the Bluefin Challenge Cup last weekend, in the third round of the Berks & Bucks FA Intermediate Cup.