Geared Up For Robins

Rovers are in midweek action tomorrow evening as we face Cheltenham Town at the Mem after recording our first win of the season on Saturday. The Rubies come in to the game on the back of a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morecambe last Friday and will want a result similar to the one they took back to Gloucestershire last season. They triumphed 3-1 that day and their squad remains largely identical, albeit with a couple of tweaks, whilst our squad looks vastly different.

David Clarkson celebrating his opener against Exeter

Among our new boys are last week's signings Derek Riordan and Tom Eaves. The latter will be available and whilst Riordan has been back in Scotland for the past few days as his wife prepares to give birth to their second child, the striker will fly back to Bristol tonight and be able to play. Great news. Aside from that there will definitely be one change as Tom Parkes received his fifth yellow card of the season against Exeter and is suspended, so a recall for Lee Brown looks likely. Michael Smith doesn't look like he is ready to return from compassionate leave to occupy the right back spot, so Virgo may well retain his place with Brown slotting in to the middle.

The 'Nam team will contain many familiar faces as the likes of former Gas favourite Steve Elliott, Darryl Duffy and Chris Zebroski are likely to play some part for the visitors. Elliott has continued to be the dominant centre back we all adored when he wore the quarters and whilst he may now be 33 he hasn't lost any pace - mainly because he never had any in the first place! Duffy is in his second season with the club and will be aiming to score to prove his doubters wrong. He was a Pirate between 2008 and 2011, failing to prove himself as a regular starter at the Mem. Zebroski was similar but only left this pre-season when Cheltenham made an undisclosed bid for his services. First team opportunities would have been limited here so he was given the club's blessing to move on and so he did, but he's not firing on all cylinders just yet. He's been deployed as a winger mainly and has only scored one goal, coming against former club Torquay in August. He'll be more than happy to add to his tally at the Mem and it seems likely he'll get at least one opportunity to do so. Fingers crossed his shooting ability remains the same as it was for us last year!

Entertaining is one thing this game is certain to be with both sides intent on continuing the good form they take in to the game. I wouldn't mind the game being scrappy and dull as long as it is us that comes out on top. I think we've got a great chance as long as we retain our solidity in defence and probe a little more in the final third - if we create chances I believe we have goals in us. Come on Gas, let's get our first home win of the campaign and cement our place as one of the in-form teams in League Two.