TOWN’S home game against Southend on Saturday looks set to be given the go-ahead - thanks to 32 sheets of black plastic tarpaulin.

Groundsman Marcus Cassidy hired 20 covers - which have also been used at Sandown racecourse - for a reduced price of £4,000 and put them together with 12 of his own to form a protective layer over the County Ground pitch.

And they look to have been worth every single penny as Cassidy is confident the vital League One clash will be able to kick off on Saturday.

He said: “It’s a type of black tarpaulin which also act as germination sheets in the summer. So when we re-seed the pitch if you put these sheets on, they heat the seed so they germinate quicker. But in the winter they act as a frost cover as well.

“There are various other frost protection systems, but they are quite expensive, and these are the best we could afford.

“When you take back the covers the pitch looks decent - very green - and it’s soft enough for a key to go in it. The far side, which is normally the problem area, is soft as well.

“The forecast isn’t too bad. There’s quite a bit of snow coming in, but that acts as insulation.

“The frost has got to penetrate the snow, before it penetrates the sheets, before it penetrates the ground.

“So Friday night and early Saturday isn’t looking too good, but hopefully the sheets have done their job and we should be alright.”

Even when the playing surface gets the all-clear, the game could still be postponed if there is a risk over the safety of spectators accessing the County Ground.

“It’s not just the pitch - it’s the issues with the stands, the car park and everything like that,” said Cassidy.

“The Northampton game (on Tuesday) was called off because of the car park being too icy, and yet the pitch was fine.

“So on Friday we will grit the car park and start gritting the stands to try and cut out any health and safety issues.”

“We’re doing our best to try and get the game on.”

n SUPERMARINE’S Southern League Cup third round tie against Andover last night was postponed due to a frozen pitch at Hunts Copse.

Highworth Town’s away game at Chalfont Wasps in the second round of the Challenge Cup also fell foul of the weather, as did the Hellenic League Premier Division clash between Shrivenham and Wantage Town.