SWINDON Supermarine manager Lee Spalding says his side’s form against the high fliers in Southern League Premier Division South means they can travel to Beaconsfield in optimistic mood this evening.

Marine are currently one place above the relegation zone with 12 points from 11 league games, although Spalding’s side have had a tough start as they have already played the top five teams in the table.

Beaconsfield are the team immediately outside the play-off spots and boast a strong record this term having only lost two league games.

Although his own side’s points haul is not what he would like, Spalding has taken positives from the fact Marine have already held both the top two of Weymouth and Salisbury this season, while their meetings against the other members of the top five have resulted in narrow 1-0 losses.

The most recent of those was at home to third-placed Taunton Town on Saturday and Spalding says that tight affair means Marine have nothing to fear at Beaconsfield.

“We’ve now played all of the top five teams, and the bonus is we are competing in all of the games,” said Spalding.

“We need a little bit of luck sometimes. We’ve got to improve our quality in the final third though.

“If we continue to defend how we did on Saturday, I think we’ll do okay.

“It’s those fine details, If we can nail those down I believe we’ll start to pick up results week in week out.”

Meanwhile in the Hellenic League Premier Division, Fairford Town are looking to follow up their win over leaders Brackley Town Saints at the weekend with another victory over local rivals Shrivenham this evening.

Shrivvy are second from bottom in the table but have former Fairford boss Gareth Davies at the helm, so current Town chief Jody Bevan knows his troops face a stiff test.

Bevan said: “It’s a different challenge compared to the one we had at the weekend.

“They’ve had some disappointing results of late and they are struggling, but there is a big Fairford Town connection.

“They are a lot of former players and a former manager there, so I am sure they will be bang up for it and I’m sure we’ll make sure it’s not a case of it being an after the Lord Mayor’s show.

“We have to get our attitude right and approach it like any other game to make sure we do it right.”