TAUNTON Town manager Leigh Robinson is expecting a tough game against mid-table Didcot Town when they visit the Viridor Stadium on Saturday (ko 3pm).

The fifth-placed hosts are without several key men and will have to continue their promotion challenge without injured captain Brett Trowbridge.

The skipper is set to miss most of February with a heel problem, while Craig Duff’s hamstring injury and Ed Palmer’s suspension (he was sent off at Paulton) also keep them out this weekend, so Matt Villis will come into the defence.

The Peacocks have been boosted by the return of Staley, who missed the Paulton defeat due to a family bereavement but returned to put in a man-of-the-match display at Bishops Cleeve, scoring the third goal.

Robinson said: “Ross had great energy [on Tuesday], he was buzzing around the pitch.

“We played him in several positions, and he scored at a key time to put us out of reach.”

The manager expects a tough game from 12th-placed Didcot, who they are yet to play this season, adding: “Paulton, Bishops Cleeve and Didcot are all clubs we respect – we learned last weekend that anyone can beat anyone in this league, so we need to use the momentum from Tuesday.”

They face another midweek fixture on Tuesday, February 14, again at the Viridor, against Wimborne Town (ko 7.45pm).

Wimborne, who currently lie 11th in the table, won the reverse fixture 2-1 – although that was back in August, as Taunton began the season shakily.

“They caught us at a bad time, but we won’t look too much into that,” Robinson said.

“On paper we have two mid-table sides at home next, but there are surprises in this division, so we can’t be complacent.”