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The Big Match Preview- Walton and Hersham vs Gloucester City- with boss Mike Cook



Gloucester City will be looking to end a run of one win in their last five games in the Southern Premier Division South as they head down to Surrey to face fourth place side Walton and Hersham.


The Tigers’ poor run of form has seen them slip to three points behind Merthyr Town having played a game more, while AFC Totton are one point behind in third having played two less than City.


City have been undone by a lack of composure in front of goal and lacking that clinical finish that has seen them dominate matches and in recent weeks seen them fail to get the points they may have deserved.


City boss Mike Cook hopes that the week break and training sessions will have done City the world of good.


"We've been geared towards doing a lot of finishing and a lot of movement before you even get into the finishing position, because all the good strikers that you see at any level, they are brilliant at moving off the ball and anticipating balls coming into certain areas, and then taking their chances nice and early.


"I think some lads are suffering a little bit with low confidence. So all you can do is make the task nice and easy, make sure that they gain a bit of confidence and get good self esteem.


"Then you make the task a little bit harder. Even starting the goal with no goalkeepers in there and just passing to the net.


"I know when I used to play with Dion Dublin, many, many years ago at Cambridge, and he used to love having no goalkeeper in so that he could practice hitting the corners, whether it's high or low he just liked doing that."


The City boss confirmed that changes will be afoot ahead of the trip down the South East.


"A couple of little tweaks are needed.


"There will be a couple of new starters on Saturday. So if we work on what we're really good at, and work a little bit on we're not so good at. I think then we'd probably be in a position that we can affect the game where we want to be especially games away from home.


"Normally you would look at an away point as quite a good point. We haven't got to the stage in the league of asking where we're going? Oh, we've got to go there, and we've got to win, obviously, it's lovely if we do win. But if you're playing fourth in the league, they're a decent team. They're at their place. They play a decent amount of football as well, so it should be a good game and hopefully we can come away with the spoils."


In the clubs ongoing striker seach, the boss confirmed that there had been movemenet but was holding his cards close to his chest.


"At the moment, it's looking good but I don't want to say too much too soon, because, a lot of these deals get scuppered right at the last minute. We know this one particular person has got three other clubs involved, one from the league above us but we've had good, positive conversation, but we're just not quite over the line yet, so we can't announce it, but he is somebody that we've we have very interested in.


"Sometimes you don't want to raise the hopes of supporters and board members and people like that, because it's likely to fall down, but we're very positive with this one.”


City received good news with the return of Harry Pinchard returning to training after a lengthy absence having suffered a broken leg albeit not fit for Saturday which will provide a boost.


"Thankfully, we've got Pinch (Harry Pinchard) training with the first team now, so he's going to be about three weeks away. I think he'll make a massive difference to us.


I think for us to be still in the hunt and where we are at the moment when he first broke his leg, 12 weeks ago, I was fearing the worst, because I do rate him that highly.


I think he's somebody that can make us tick, and he gives us that little extra dimension, he can set goals up and he can score a few goals as well. So we've done well to still be in the hunt with him.


It might help us that on the seventh we don't play against Gosport, because they're in the FA Trophy so that might give him another week to get back.


He's the only one that is close to coming back from injury that is an important member of the team.


I think Spence (Spencer Hamilton) is still going to be struggling for the next sort of month, five weeks. And then, there's Rex (Jamie Record) as well who potentially will be available after next weekend.”


While the Tigers form hasn't been as spectacular as of late, the same could be said for the hosts, as the Swans have won just two of their last 10 games, but currently sit in the playoff positions with 26 points from 16 matches, in a highly congested part of the table with only five points seperating them and Chertsey Town in 11th place.


They boast a strong home record having won five of their eight matches this season at the Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub, losing just the once to Taunton Town at home.


Currently they boast the joint third highest scoring tally in the league with 30 goals, five more than the Tigers, while their defensive record can only be bettered by four times including the Tigers who have conceded two less than their opponents.


In a weekend of huge match ups in the Southern Premier Division South as with City in second travelling to Walton and Hersham in forth, Merthyr the current table toppers play host to AFC Totton who are hunting down the leaders in match ups that could be pivotal as to who goes up in that automatic position at the ennd of the season.

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