Decision time for boss

2:43pm Friday 29th February 2008

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HAVING struggled to cobble together a side over the past few weeks, Francis Vines is looking forward to having some decisions to make ahead of this weekend's trip to Cambridge City.

The Basingstoke Town manager was without six first-team regulars for the 1-1 draw with Bromley on Saturday, a situation that forced him to play Ben Townsend out of position in the centre of midfield and hand a debut to teenage striker Dave Cates.

This weekend will be a different story. Joe Dolan, James Taylor and Michael Charles will all return after suspension, while Jason Bristow will also be back following a bout of flu.

Steve Laidler remains on the sidelines after his knee operation, but Vines is confident that Matt Warner (toe) and Ben Surey (ankle) will be fit to make a return, giving him a selection headache of a different kind.

"Having six players come back into the reckoning gives me a nice problem," he said. "When I have been able to field my strongest 11 this season, we have done extremely well.

"I am hoping to see an improvement this weekend with those six back. We showed when we played Hampton and Richmond Borough away the difference in performance that happens when we have a full squad out there."

The crisis of recent weeks may have frustrated Vines, but he has been pleased by the way that Scott Fitzgerald and Connor Hamilton have performed since coming into the side.

Fitzgerald has scored in Basingstoke's last three outings, while Hamilton has consistently impressed in the centre of midfield.

"Scott has done very well and deserves a pat on the back," Vines said. "It's great to see him scoring goals again. His goal against Bromley was a great finish and I just wish that he had shown a little more composure when he had a great chance just after because he could have been the hero.

"Connor is only young and has shown his naivety at times, but he has done justice to himself and I have been pleased with him."

Town travel to Cambridge on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), having failed to secure a win in their last five matches, a run that has seen them drop to 12th in the Blue Square South table and ruined their chances of making the end-of-season play-offs.

City are currently 15th, having had something of a mixed season, but go into the game off the back of a win at title contenders Eastbourne Borough last weekend.

"Cambridge have been doing well of late and play some nice football," Vines said. "Gary Roberts, their manager, is a nice bloke, but I want to beat his team and I would like to win comfortably."

Vines has decisions to make in defence, but whoever plays there will have to be aware of the threat posed by striker Michael Gash, who has found the net 20 times this season.

"Gash is a good all-round player," Vines said. "He has a good touch and can hold the ball up or run in behind. He might not be there much longer and whoever plays in defence will need to be on their toes."