Didcot Town manager Stuart Peace says his side have nothing to fear when they host Abingdon United in Saturday’s Division 1 South & West derby.

Last time the sides met, in March, Didcot lost out, and Peace is expecting a difficult game against Andy Slater’s side who are on an unbeaten run of five matches and boast former Railwayman Anaclet Odhiambo in their line-up.

Didcot have recovered from their recent poor run which saw them lose two games in a row against promotion challengers Uxbridge and Totton, plus a 1-1 draw at Bridgwater Town.

“We will treat it as a normal game,” said Peace. “We will give it our best shot as we always do. “Some people say that it’s a derby and form goes out of the window, but if we stick to what we know we can do then we will be fine.

“I thought we should have won our last three games.

“We will be up for it, you can be sure of that. We are in for a tough game.

“We have played against Anaclet before and he is going to be a big threat. But we have got some dangerous players of our own.”

One player who won’t be appearing in the Didcot side is left winger Josh Dutton-Black, 20.

The former Oxford United youngster, was offered a contract by the Hampshire club on the eve of talks with Peace, after he impressed when Totton visited the Loop Meadow Stadium.

Peace said: “It’s a bit annoying for me and for him. He’s a decent player, but we will now have to look elsewhere.

” Their former Oxford City centre back Andy Williams is unavailable for the Abingdon game.

Abingdon have fitness doubts over striker Billy Beechers and midfielder Mark Janes who are both struggling with knee injuries.

Slater said: “It’s always nice to play in a derby game. Oxford City have gone and we’ve got North Leigh, but the games against Didcot are always special. “I think it’s because we both came up from the Hellenic League. “It’s always nip and tuck between us. They won at our place and we won there last season.

“They are always no holds-barred games. They have got a very good squad of players and they have aspirations to go up. “For a lot of my young team it’s the first time they have been involved in a derby game and it will be a good test of how they react to a different atmosphere.

“We’re on a good run at the moment. “ We beat Paulton Rovers last weekend, which was probably our best result of the season, that, and when we beat Bridgwater.

“We’re going to Didcot under no illusions about the task we have ahead of us. “They are one of the front-runners for the title and I would be very surprised if, at the end of the season. they are tnot here or thereabouts.

“But it’s 11 against 11 and it’s who has the most desire on the day. “We’ll go out to do our best as we always do. That’s all I can ask of my team.

“The team are buzzing and we’re all looking forward to it.” North Leigh will be without Karl Dodds when they host Bracknell Town. The defender is suspended after being sent off against Bridgwater.

Goalkeeper Richard Barrett has signed for Witney United.

He has been kept out of the side by the form of Lee Farrow, who took over when Barrett was on holiday.

Mark Threlfall has gone out on loan to Hellenic League side Carterton.

Midfielder George Redknap has rejoined Banbury United after switching from Oxford City.

Banbury are without a game, as are City.

Saturday’s squads Didcot Tn (v Abingdon Utd, home): from Watkins, Bicknell, Heapy, Brown, Jack, Powell, Osbourne-Ricketts, Howell, King, Mortimer-Jones, Hebburn, Roach, Bartley, Hopkins, Buckner, Saunders, Witt.

Abingdon Utd (v Didcot Tn, away): from Warrell, Smith, Franklin, Organ, Burton, Austin, McCalmon, Herbert, Biddle, B Weedon, Horsfall, Hailsham, Holden, Odhiambo, Beechers, Janes, Booker.

North Leigh (v Bracknell Tn, home): from Farrow, C Weedon, Huxley, Allen, Reardon, McCabe, Burnell, Cooper, Futcher, Hope, Simms, Helby, Jackson, Sadler.