Defender Will Boyle insists that Cheltenham Town will be focusing entirely on their game and not the form of local rivals Forest Green Rovers ahead of their Sky Bet League Two meeting at the weekend.
Centre-back Boyle has been a mainstay in the Robins team alongside skipper Johnny Mullins and hopes that their hard work in training over the last fortnight will soon pay off on the pitch.
“I think that the more times you do things, the more natural it becomes within your subconscious and that’s what the gaffer is aiming for,” Boyle said.
“I don’t know how long he has been here now but it’s still relatively new, so we still need to keep working at it and drilling it in and I’m sure that’s what going to happen and hopefully the results can follow.”
The 23-year-old knows the stakes are high in a local derby, especially after the 4-0 Checkatrade Trophy loss in Nailsworth back in September – a game in which he and many first-team members took part in.
“Obviously with what happened earlier in the season, it all adds up to make it an even bigger game,” he added.
“The night as a whole was embarrassing for the club from top to bottom and embarrassing for the fans there watching and for us that were playing.
“Obviously, that is going to be in the back of our minds, but we have just got to focus on the three points up for grabs this week and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Forest Green lost their unbeaten start to the season last weekend, going down 2-1 at Northampton Town – but their high possession-based style of play has seen a strong start to the campaign.
“That’s their style and it’s been implemented for a while now and they are getting a few rewards for it this year as they have only been defeated once, so we will be looking at that over the next couple of days and how to implement our game onto them,” Boyle said.
“We have got to focus on us and let them do what they do, we will obviously respect them and see what they are going to bring and see their strengths and weaknesses.
“But it’s all about focusing on our game and how we implement that.”
Tickets and travel
You can still join us in Nailsworth for the closest away trip of the season! Covered seating and standing tickets have now sold out for this fixture but plenty of uncovered standing tickets remain on sale up until kick-off.
This match is NO LONGER ALL TICKET for away fans and tickets will be available for travelling supporters at the New Lawn on the day.
Cheltenham fans can purchase their tickets from the New Lawn ticket office but please do allow plenty of time as it is expected to be busy on the day.