MIDFIELDER Gary Horgan belives the Hardenhuish Park fans can make a real difference when the Bluebirds face Crawley on Saturday.

Although he has only been with the club for less than two seasons he is well aware of the fan fervour that drove the team to Wembley and helped establish the club in the Dr Martens Premier Division last year.

"They can be like a 12th man and I know I haven't been here that long but they have always really backed this club,'' he said.

"Against Hinckley two weeks ago when we were going for the winner they were really noisy. They were great and you could really feel them getting behind us. To be fair they have been good all season but I think they have been quieter than last season, although we haven't given them much to shout about really.''

Horgan was singled out by manager Steve White for praise after Saturday's win at Grantham.

The hamstring injury to midfielder Mark Badman and the subsequent reshuffle, which pushed James Constable into the hole behind strikers Martin Paul and Charlie Griffin left Horgan and Ian Herring with a heavy workload in midfield. But Horgan was happy to battle away for the team.

"It was okay, we had a bit more work to do but having James in a withdrawn role gave us a new dimension, he was making runs and keeping their midfield busy.

Losing Badman after 25 minutes was a blow, especially as he has only just returned from suspension. "It was bad luck, said Horgan. "You don't realise how much you miss him until he isn't there. He is hoping it is just a tweak and he'll be okay for Saturday.

Amid all of the injuries that have plagued Chippenham this year Horgan has stayed relatively fit.

"I've been lucky so far. I've got a niggling knee injury that may have been caused by a slight hamstring strain but apart from I'm okay. I just hope now I've said that it won't be the kiss of death.''