MARTIN Allen is looking to turn ‘Quality Street’ into league ‘Celebrations’ now that Eastleigh are out of the FA Cup.
Following Saturday’s 5-1 defeat at Brentford, the Spitfires boss likened his squad to Quality Street having had to field mix-and-match sides ever since arriving from Barnet last month.
But with his cup-tied players now available and skipper Joe Partington returning from a three-match ban at home to Forest Green Rovers tomorrow (Tuesday, 7.45pm), Allen intends getting a settled team in place to push for the National League play-offs.
“It’s been one game to the next of cup-tied players and not cup-tied players,” he said.
“But I’m going have a good look at the Boreham Wood game where we played so well, won 1-0 and came away with a clean sheet, and some of those players will come back into the frame.
“Saturday was a different type of day out, but this is the bread and butter and we need players we can rely on week in, week out.
“We’ve got a lot of league games to play and we need a lot of wins.”
The likes of Bondz N’Gala, Ben Strevens, Ross Stearn and Doncaster loanee Tyler Garratt should be back in contention to face a Forest Green side sitting third in the table, three points off leaders Lincoln.
Eastleigh, who drew 1-1 at The New Lawn in September, are 13 points adrift of Rovers in 12th and ten points shy of fifth spot.
Forest Green will be boosted by Saturday’s 5-1 triumph at Bromley – their first league win in four. That followed an amazing 5-5 home draw with Torquay United, who had beaten them 4-3 just days earlier at Plainmoor.
Keanu Marsh-Brown and former Salisbury forward Elliott Frear hope to feature despite taking knocks at Bromley and ex-Saints defender Aarran Racine returns after a loan spell with York.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here