Merthyr Town are hoping for a bumper Penydarren Park attendance on Saturday for another crunch Southern League Premier clash (3pm).
The Martyrs, still unbeaten at home this season, are second in the table behind leaders Chippenham Town and they welcome Frome Town to Merthyr Tydfil this weekend.
From are eighth and must win if they are too keep their hopes of qualifying for the play-offs alive.
Chippenham, where former Newport County striker Andy Sandell is top scorer on 26 goals, are clear at the top, while the four clubs currently in the play-off spots, including Merthyr, are well ahead of any challengers.
Only two points cover Merthyr, Hitchin, Leamington and fifth-placed Slough, while their is a nine point gap to the next team.
Merthyr’s average crowd at Penydarren Park this season is 480, with a high of 784, and they stand fifth in the attendance table behind Slough (620), King’s Lynn (548), Weymouth (523) and Kettering (499).
Manager Gavin Williams and his team would love to see the turn-out for the Frome match go above 500.
A win for the Martyrs would ensure they remain second, while anything else could mean a drop to fourth or fifth although that would still leave them 10 points ahead of Frome.
Of the rest of the top five teams, Chippenham are away to mid-table Basingstoke, while Leamington and Slough are also away from home, against teams in the lower reaches of the table, and Hitchin have what may be a tricky game at home to King’s Lynn.
The Norfolk club appointed former Norwich City defender Ian Culverhouse as their new manager this week.
Since Merthyr’s promotion to the Premier Division the three meetings with Frome to date have all ended in draws. The reverse fixture this season, played at the end of October, saw goals from Jarrad Wright and Ian Traylor lift Merthyr from two goals down earn a share of the spoils.
Both matches last season finished 1-1 with Wright the scorer again at Penydarren Park just over a year ago on Frome’s last visit.
The leading scorer for Frome is Jake Jackson with 14 in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Redditch, while midfield player Jon Davies is on 12.
Only four teams, including Merthyr, have scored more goals in the league than the Robins’ total of 63. However, at the other end they have conceded more than any other side in the top 10.
The team news for Merthyr is that the same squad as against Hitchin will be available with the addition of manager Williams. Scott Barrow’s three match suspension for his sending off against Hitchin in midweek does not start until next Saturday when Biggleswade are the opponents.
The Martyrs are offering a happy hour deal for supporters on Saturday with pints of Carling, Strongbow and Caffrey’s costing £2.50 between 1.30pm and 2.30pm plus 5pm and 7pm.
Tydfil Training are sponsoring both the match and the ball.
