Team Bath boss Tillson expects a tough tie against Rovers

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Friday, November 07, 2008
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Team Bath coach Andy Tillson will not be fooled by Forest Green's recent results ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup first-round tie.

Since briefly topping the Blue Square Premier table at the end of August, the Nailsworth outfit have won only two of their 15 games.

They beat Ryman League Ashford Town in the final qualifying round after a replay and on Tuesday they edged past Oxford United in a Setanta Shield tie.

Their run of form is similar to that endured by Salisbury City, who Team Bath beat 1-0 in the last round.

However, Tillson has scouted Forest Green in person since the draw was made and cannot understand why they have dropped into the relegation places.

"Myself and Brian Parkin (goalkeeping coach) have watched them a couple of times and we have been impressed by them," said the ex-Bristol Rovers man.

"They are well coached and want to play football and we are quite surprised to see them where they are.

"It is going to be a good game and we are going to have to be at our best."

Forest Green Rovers manager Jim Harvey will take a role call of his injury-hit side before deciding on his line-up.

Harvey's biggest worry concerns his goalkeepers, with first-choice Ryan Robinson ruled out of the midweek Setanta Shield game against Oxford United with an elbow injury and reserve keeper Terry Burton finishing that game with a sprained wrist.

Adriano Rigoglioso is also ruled out through injury and skipper John Hardiker had to be substituted in the Oxford game with a groin injury.

Curtis McDonald, Paul Stonehouse, Alex Lawless, Les Afful and Mark Preece are all doubtful.

Team Bath (from): McCarthy, Locke, Warren, El-Abd, Caton, Perrott, Canham, Smith, Abbott, Benison, Cooper, Llewellyn, Hobbs, Thomson, Bell, Lamb, Chitty, Arnold, Dillon, Ake, Piotrowski, Townley.

Forest Green Rovers (from): Robinson, Burton, Gill, Jones. Molyneaux, Fowler, Mohamed, Clist, Afful, Symons, Thomas, Platt, McDonald, Stonehouse, Lawless, Preece.

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