Next run of games particularly important – Duff

MICHAEL Duff has emphasised the importance of Cheltenham Town’s next few games as they take on some of the teams immediately around them in the League Two table.

Grimsby are the next visitors to the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, arriving for a 3pm kick-off tomorrow.

The Mariners are currently 18th in the table, sitting five points above Duff ’s side, and their visit this weekend will be the two clubs first meeting this season.

“We know if we beat them we get closer to them, but flip that on its head and if they beat us the gap gets wider,” Duff, pictured, said at the pre-match press conference.

“We’ve played a lot of teams at the top end of the table, so the next run of games are important because they are against the teams that are in and around us.

“I think we know what we’re going to get from them. They get in your face, they press high, have good energy – similar to Newport in the way they go about with a different shape and the way they go about their business. We know what we’ll be expecting from them.”

Following the Grimsby match, the Robins have away games at Port Vale and Swindon prior to Christmas.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham youngster Will Dawes has joined Tuffley Rovers on a work-experience loan following a spell at Yate Town. The attacking midfielder is a second-year scholar with the Robins and was on the bench for the first team for the first time at Coventry last season.

The 18-year-old was also in the matchday 18 for the matches against Barnet and Cambridge United.

He was on the scoresheet for the Robins’ youth team in their 3-1 FA Youth Cup win at Forest Green, setting up a second round tie against Gillingham.

Dawes, who is from Somerset, has also played regularly for the reserves over the past two seasons.

Tuffley, who play in the Hellenic League Premier Division and are managed by Mark Pritchett, are at home to Binfield on Saturday.