ANDY Ballard hopes to guide Didcot Town to future success after being confirmed as their permanent manager.

Ballard and assistant Ian Lovegrove took over on an interim basis in December.

And they have been rewarded for a fine run of form which has seen the Railwaymen beaten just twice since the turn of the year.

The duo will look to reward that faith with an eye-catching victory at home to Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West leaders Banbury United tomorrow.

“We’re pleased and honoured to have been offered the role,” said Ballard, who is still signed on as a player.

“We’ve already started planning for next season and I’m really looking forward to it.”

“We have a chance to test ourselves this weekend against a side who are where we want to be as a club.”

The match reunites Ballard with his former boss, Mike Ford, in the opposing dugout.

Ford made Ballard his captain when the two were together at Oxford City and the Banbury boss was expecting the midfielder to take a step into management.

Ford stated: “It didn’t surprise me when he put his hand up for the Didcot job.

“He was always a real leader on the field and he was a terrific player for me.”

“Teams are quite often a reflection of their manager, so I would expect them to be very hard-working and very committed.”

Centre back Andy Gunn is suspended for the Puritans, but midfielder Duran Martin returns to the side from international duty with Antigua & Barbuda.

Didcot are without injured trio Jack Self, George Reid (both ankle) and Ryan Barney (back), while Graham Edney is unavailable.

North Leigh boss Mark Gee is relieved to see his strikers back in form ahead of their trip to Winchester City.

A Jamie Cook hat-trick and a double from George Seacole gave the Millers a 5-4 home win over Marlow on Wednesday evening, ending a barren run in front of goal.

Gee said: “It’s good to see our strikers in good form all of a sudden.”

“I would have liked to have had them in this kind of form ten games ago, but it’s good to see them among the goals.”

Zak Westlake and Callum McNish return for North Leigh after missing out during the week.

Wantage Town are without the unavailable James Glover and Josias Carbon as they host fellow strugglers Wimborne Town.

Midfielder Matt Clark is suspended and player-manager Stuart Cattell is injured (rib), while there are also injury doubts over Mark Francis (groin) and Jake Johns (hamstring).

TOMORROW’S SQUADS

Didcot Tn (v Banbury Utd, home): from Bedwell, Learoyd, Carnell, Longford, Ballard, Janes, Organ, Beer, Collins, Thompson, Gannon, Woodhouse, Noble, Powell, Tanner.

Banbury Utd (v Didcot Tn, away): from Harding, Welch-Hayes, White, Wise, Westbrook, Stanbridge, Browne, Nash, Johnson, Howards, McEachran, Blackstock, Barcelos, Hopkins, Davies, Bell, Martin.

North Leigh (v Winchester City, away): from Foster, Hole, Elkins, M Williams, M Woodley, Osborne-Ricketts, Turk, McNish, Else, Cook, White, L Williams, Seacole, Brown, Westlake, Taylor.

Wantage Tn (v Wimborne Tn, home): from Cavanagh, Elliott, Collier, Evans, Jones, Evans, Barder, Wrona, Kalakoutis, Hulbert-Thomas, McNeil, Doyle, Powell, Coleman, Francis, Johns, Oakley.

A STRONG defence will be key to Kidlington’s Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division title push, says boss Martin Wilkinson.

The Greens entertain Bracknell Town tomorrow looking to extend an incredible run of more than seven-and-a-half hours without conceding.

“All good teams are built on good defences and in my opinion we have some very talented defenders at the club,” said Wilkinson.

“When you add our impressive defenders to the quality of our attacking players, who have scored over 100 league goals between them, then you have a decent team.”

Defender Mark Flanagan is the only absentee for the home side with a muscle strain.

TOMORROW’S SQUAD

Kidlington (v Bracknell Tn, home): from Warrell, C Weedon, B Weedon, Brownhill, Owen, Franklin, Gabbidon, E Odhiambo, A Odhiambo, Brooks, Coyle, Castle, Thomas, Willoughby, Quainton, Deabill.