DAVE Webb is warning his Swindon Supermarine charges that they will need to be ready to put the pedal to the metal this weekend to avoid being caught cold by Marlow.

In-form Marine have only been in action three times since the turn of the year, although they did maintain their 12-match unbeaten run in the Southern League Division One South & West with victory over Bashley on February 2.

Webb’s men saw their home clash with Mangotsfield United on Tuesday postponed due to a waterlogged pitch but the South Marston outfit are set to get their boots muddy once again when they welcome 15th-placed Marlow to the Webb’s Wood Stadium.

In their last outing, Marlow brought a five-match winless run to an end with victory over promotion-chasing North Leigh whilst Marine have been leapfrogged into third on goal difference by Winchester City and boss Webb says that a potentially tricky assignment awaits his troops if they don’t hit the ground running on Saturday.

“Marlow have got some pace in their side and some tricky players,” said the Marine manager.

“When we went down there earlier in the season (on September 26), we won 1-0 thanks to a Luke Hopper goal but they caused us some problems and we had to rely on quite a few saves from Matt Bulman.

“They’ll be confident on Saturday because they had a very good win over North Leigh and we’ve got to be ready to impose our game on them from the start, otherwise, it could be difficult.

“We’ve only played three games this year and you do worry about getting rusty but I think the players know the importance of every game in this league.

“The only team that’s really played in the last few weeks is Winchester and they’ve gone above us but it’s only on goal difference and hopefully, if we can get a win on Saturday, that should bring us closer to the top sides.

“For us, it’s just about trying to win the next game and then winning the game after that. A lot of the top sides will be playing each other before the end of the season and it’s just up to us to stay in that mix.”

Marine are set to be without Connor Thompson, who is unavailable through work commitments, whilst fellow midfielder Joe Shepherd has suffered a recurrence of an ankle problem.

Winger Jacob Davidge is also a doubt after picking up groin and ankle problems playing for Hartpury College but strikers Josh Parsons and Connor Waldon are expected to be fit.