FOOTBALL: Mudge - 'We need points'

DIDCOT Town boss Dave Mudge wants his side to transfer their form in cup competitions into Division 1 South & West points, starting with the trip to Clevedon, writes NICK FARRANT.

Mudge’s side reached the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy with a 2-0 win at Worthing, having accounted for Clevedon and Marlow in the previous rounds.

But they have struggled away from home in the league.

“If we take those three wins then we would have had nine more points,” said Mudge.

“We’ve had a good run (in the Trophy), but our bread and butter is the league.

“And we need to get something from our travels and if we play as well as we have been doing then it’s achieveable.”

Didcot welcome back Josh Miller into the squad.

Meanwhile, Mudge has prasied the character of his side in the win at Worthing: “There was quite a hostile crowd at Worthing and it wasn’t the best environment, but the boys acquitted themselves well.”

North Leigh will be without midfielder Mark Flanagan for ten weeks with torn ankle ligaments.

He suffered the injury on October 15 against Tiverton.

Boss Mark Gee, whose side face a trip to Division 1 South & West highfliers Bideford to-morrow, said:“It’s a big blow to lose him because he has been playing really well.

“Joe Burnell is out with a foot injury for a few weeks and we’ve already lost our keeper Sam Warrell to injury.

“We’ve also got three suspended (Kieran Sanders, Alfie Saunders and Michael Hopkins), so we’ve recalled Ben Willoughby (from Kidlington) and Andy Caton (from Witney Town).

“It’s going to be a patched-up side, but the 11 players I put out will be competitive.”

Abingdon United aim to climb away from the danger-zone, starting away to fellow-strugglers Wimborne.

Richie Bourne’s men haven’t recorded a win since beating Mangotsfield last month and in midweek lost 1-0 at Bideford, despite a decent performance.

He said: “We can’t keep saying we played well all the time – we need to get some points.”

Stuart Young returns to the squad, while Aaron Parfitt (ankle) faces a fitness test.

Tomorrow’s squads

Didcot Tn (v Clevedon, away): from Santangelo, Elkins, Halliday, Henderson, Peirson, Stanley, Bayley, Mudge, Asom-bang, Seaward, Davis, Miller, Ban-gura, Turner, Miller.

North Leigh (v Bideford, away): Lonsdale, Parrish, Organ, Franklin, Williams, Bowles, Willoughby, Hole, Osborne-Ricketts, Mills, Caton, Roberts, Clark.

Abingdon Utd (v Wimborne, away): from J Foster, Buck, Angell, Allaway, Carnell, Doyle, Biddle, Kingsbeer, Collier, Packer, Parfitt, Smith, Evans, Young.