SWINDON Supermarine are praying on the fitness of big summer signing Ross Adams ahead of their first home Southern League game of the season against Yate tonight.

Adams picked up a few knocks in the defeat at Didcot on Saturday and Marine boss Dave Webb was hoping the central defender would come through treatment last night to boost his backline.

Adams told the Advertiser last week how impressed he has been with Marine since dropping two divisions to sign on at the Webb’s Wood ahead of pre-season. It seems the feeling is mutual, as Webb stressed how important he is to his side.

“Ross Adams picked up couple of knocks on Saturday, he will be going in for treatment tonight and we hope he can come through that to play against Yate,” said Webb.

“It does seem we need to bring in another defender and that is something we’ll be looking at that in the next week.

“With the players already missing you can’t afford to miss someone of Ross’s quality, we’ll be hoping he can recover in time.”

Webb knows how important home form is going to be this season if his side want to continue to challenge at the top of the Southern League Division One South & West table, and he is looking forward to the first league game in South Marston.

“It was disappointing to lose on Saturday and that makes it important to get our first win under our belts, especially at home. Right now the place is looking in great shape and any team coming here will be impressed with it,” he said.

“We have to make the Webb’s Wood a place where people don’t want to come, hopefully we can carry on our home form from pre-season where the only team that beat us was Swindon Town. When you turn up and look at that pitch you know it suits football, so it should be good game.”

Harry Etheridge comes back into the side after returning from holiday.

Elsewhere, in Southern League Premier, Brian Hughes’s Cirencester Town will also be looking to get their first win of the season when they host Bideford at the Corinium.

Ciren are currently looking for a volunteer to take over official club reporting on first-team matches. Anyone interested should contact either Scott Griffin on 01285 654543 or Rob Saunders on 07809 380602.

In the Hellenic League, Highworth host Brimscombe & Thrupp, Wootton Bassett travel to Newbury and Gareth Davies will be looking to get his first league win in charge of Fairford, as his side play at Tuffley.