JAMIE Prictor says the Supermarine camp have plenty of reasons to be cheerful as they prepare for the latest round in their relegation scrap.

Marine, currently 17th and one point outside the Southern Premier drop zone, face league leaders Brackley at St James Park tomorrow, and will be dragged back into trouble if they suffer defeat and Banbury win at Hitchin.

However, left wing-back Prictor says his team’s recent form of one defeat in seven has given them great confidence, adding that the squad believe they can upset the odds and defeat Brackley.

“We’re on a great run at the moment and if you look at the other teams around us, we’re the only team that’s picking up points,” he said.

“You look at Barwell at home as being a must-win and we’ll go into the other two against Brackley and Cambridge trying to get three points as well.

“We beat Brackley in the cup this year and at the end of last season, so we can do it. It would be a massive win for us.”

Joint-boss Gary Horgan is the only injury doubt with an ankle problem, but he is expected to recover in time to play tomorrow.

And the former Chippenham man has promised his side will not adopt a defensive mindset for the trip to Northamptonshire.

“We’ll do what we have done in the last few games and that’s play our own game,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s right for us to sit back, as you can see from the conceded tally in the league table that we’re not the tightest defensively.

“We don’t want to be inviting pressure, so attack is the best form of defence.”

Horgan admitted that Marine are in something of a Catch-22 situation, given that a draw, a credible result at St James Park, could still see the South Marston side drop into the relegation places.

“You normally view a point away at Brackley as being a really good result, but that could leave us in the bottom four,” he said.

“A win would be fantastic for us and would give us a real chance of avoiding the drop.

“It’s officially in our own hands now and we just have to match the results of the teams below us.”

Marine face midtable Barwell next weekend and follow that up with an away clash with Cambridge on the final day of the season.

  • JOHN Applegate will be staying on as Chippenham Town chairman next season and has revealed that new vice-chairman Neil Blackmore is being teed up as his long-term successor.

The 74-year-old, who is in his third year in the chair at Hardenhuish Park, announced his intention to step down from his role in December last year but as the Bluebirds look to reshuffle their boardroom, Applegate has made a U-turn on his plans.

Blackmore, 47, was voted on to the Chippenham board of directors last month before then taking up the vice-chairman’s role last week.

Fans will be hoping for a change on the pitch too, ahead of Stourbridge’s vitist tomorrow, with boss Adie Mings likely to make a change or two on the back of Chippenham’s poor display in the 2-0 defeat to Supermarine on Monday.

Already-relegated Cirencester Town host St Albans.