Godmanchester Rovers hope to keep promotion dream alive in top-of-the-table clash

Godmanchester Rovers go into a top-of-the-table showdown on Saturday in the knowledge that they must win to keep the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division title race alive.

Second-placed Goddy will kick-off at Bearscroft Lane 13 points behind pace-setting visitors Norwich United.

And co-boss Neville Nania admits an immediate bounce back is required from a first league defeat in four months at the weekend.

Rovers paid the price for a below-par first-half showing when slipping up 2-1 at Gorleston.

A 40th goal of the season from hot-shot striker Tom Meechan was not enough to salvage the situation in the second period as he saw another two efforts ruled out.

Nania said: “It’s the big one and we really need to get a result from it to hold onto any aspirations of winning the title.

“A victory would get the gap down to 10 points and we still to go to their place later in the season.

“But a loss on Saturday and we would be 16 points behind Norwich with 39 points still to play for.

“We would then need to have an almighty capitulation and I don’t think that is likely as they have a lot of mature players in their team.

“It is disappointing to be going into the game on the back of a defeat. We should never have lost the game at Gorleston at the weekend, but barely half of the lads performed in the first half and that cost us dear.

“Myself and Matt (fellow manager Haniver) let them know they had let themselves down and hopefully we get the right response.”

Godmanchester will have Charlie Bowen back from a ban against Norwich United.