CWSPL

Premier Division

Witheridge 5,

Ivybridge Town will be looking for their first win of the 2012/12 campaign when they take on high-flying Elburton Villa in a local derby at the Erme Valley stadium tonight at 7.30pm, with Ivybridge Town manager Brian Howard making an appeal to fans to come and support the team.

The game assumes extra importance following the Bridgers' second-half capitulation at Witheridge last Saturday, where they shipped five goals in 45 minutes and left Howard claiming the players need to have a long, hard look at themselves.

One of the best players so far this season, new signing Chris Maskell, is off on holiday so will miss the game, but stalwart striker Joe Truelove, who has been working up in Scotland, will be available.

As to any other changes, Howard said Nicky Marker, first team coach, will be looking to bring in new players for what will be a tough fixture, but will save that decision until after a training session that Howard said would be a kick up the backside for his side.

With two losses from their opening two games, Town are already looking on course for a season similar to last year's problematic one, unless changes can be made quickly.

Howard warned that the chairman will bring in new players if that is what it takes, after some of the best early-season performances have been from the new boys in the squad such as Luke Brown and Chris Maskell.

Describing the Witheridge loss, Howard said: 'Last season we went up there and lost 4-0, this time it was 5-0, so we've gone backwards.

The first half was creditable, we hit the woodwork twice. If you'd said to me at half-time we'd go on to lose 5-0, I'd have said you had to be joking. The players need to ask whether they did enough as individuals to win that game, and the answer is they didn't.

'If you don't concede a goal you can't lose a game of football, and we were making the same mistakes as last season. We defended poorly second half, not defending as a team and conceding silly goals. It was not the standard we expect and the players have been told that.'

In contrast, Elburton Villa are three points clear at the top of the league, being the only team to play three and win three. They have scored a massive 13 goals and conceded just four, ominous signs for a Town side that badly needs something from the game.

However, as has been said before, derby days are always different, and with what is expected to be a large crowd cheering the Bridgers on, the result is by no means a foregone conclusion.