Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke is all too aware of the threat that Eastleigh will pose when they face-off at the Memorial Stadium in the Vanarama Conference tomorrow (3pm).

Former Salisbury City boss Clarke will be without influential midfielder, and ex-Whites star, Stuart Sinclair for the match, but will be looking to extend a five-game winning run.

That streak is part of a sequence that has seen the Gas lose just one league game in the last 20.

Although, Clarke, is wary of what the Spitfires are capable of having just won back-to-back games.

“Records are records and they are always in the past,” said Clarke, referring to the run that stretches back to October 18. “It is always nice hearing that we are unbeaten in 20, but that counts for nothing when the first whistle blows on Saturday.

“We drew 1-1 at Eastleigh when we played with ten men for a long period earlier in the season and I was really pleased with the performance that night.

“I’ll be looking for something similar in terms of their attitude and desire again because Eastleigh are a very good team with very big name players, who were one of the favourites for the title at the start of the season.

“Richard (Eastleigh manager Hill) is a good coach and a good manager and I won’t be trying to second guess how he will approach the game. We will focus on our own game and try to cover all eventualities.”

Clarke is hopeful journeyman striker Jermaine Easter and midfielder Ollie Clarke, who scored and then was sent-off in the 1-1 draw at the Silverlake Stadium in September, will be fit enough to have some involvement tomorrow.

Both players returned to light training yesterday morning and are expected to resume full-contact this morning.

Clarke remains in the market to add a central midfielder on loan after confirmation earlier this week that Sinclair will be out for six weeks due to a knee injury.

 

Don't miss this weekend's Sports Pink for Pete Howard's report from Rovers v Eastleigh and Paul Collins' match photographs.