Boss backs Nuttall ahead of vital clash

Number nines tend to come in for the most stick, says Cheltenham chief Clarke

DARRELL Clarke has thrown his backing behind front man Joe Nuttall ahead of the vital Sky Bet League One clash between his Cheltenham Town side and Lincoln City this afternoon.

The Robins kept their survival hopes alive with a gutsy 2-1 win at Burton in midweek, but must beat the play-off chasing Imps today to make sure of keeping their destiny in their own hands.

With Aidan Keena (shoulder) and George Lloyd (hamstring) unlikely to play again this season, much of the attacking load will fall upon Nuttall in the final three games of the season.

The big striker, right, has been on the receiving end of some stick from the fans in recent home games, with Clarke’s team suffering three straight Whaddon Road defeats.

But after replacing the injured Keena 19 minutes into Tuesday’s door-die match at Burton, Nuttall gave his best all-round performance yet.

“I have found at most of the clubs I’ve been at, the number nines tend to come in for the most stick,” Clarke said. “The fans probably think Joe should win every header and be running around chasing channels, but he’s a different type of player.

“He has been at this level before and seems to have dropped off, so we’ve tried to get him back to the level required and some of his performances have shown what he is capable of. We’ll continue to work with him, as we do with the rest of the players.”

Along with Nuttall and Matty Taylor, the only other fit striker available to Clarke is 17-year-old Tom King, who he recently said was “not yet ready” for senior football.