DAVE Bampton will throw himself into tomorrow’s FA Trophy clash with Chippenham fully expecting an ‘unpleasant experience’.

Derbies between Supermarine and the Bluebirds are traditionally muscular affairs and skipper Bampton is fully aware that Saturday’s game will most likely follow that template.

And while Bampton acknowledged it was important for Supermarine to step up to the mark physically, he admitted it was important for him personally to stay calm given that his captain’s role.

“For Chippenham the lads shouldn’t need any motivation, it’s a game both sides look forward to,” he said.

“You always know what you’re going to get from Chippenham, they are a physical side and they always give it to you. We have to match that as best we can.

“When we played them towards the end of last season, I spent most of the game getting kicked and stamped and elbowed, it was quite an unpleasant experience, but that’s what you expect.

“You have just got to rise above it. Being captain they probably see me as a sort of target because I’m prone to the odd booking. They try and get in your head, but that happens most weeks.”

Bampton’s disciplinary record might have been under the microscope in the past, but the midfielder feels he has improved that aspect of his game.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a red card,” he said.

“You can accept the odd yellow card for a bad tackle but you shouldn’t be getting booked every week for mouthing off.

“I’ve tried to nip that side of my game in the bud.”