THE Cirencester Town squad is two bodies light for the trip to fellow Dr Martens Western Division high-flyers Sutton Coldfield.

Manager Brian Hughes will be without the services of regular bench warmers James Constable and Andy Minturn.

Teenage striker Constable completed a move to Chippenham this week, while defender Minturn faces a long lay-off after his pending knee ligament operation.

The loss of the pair is a blow to the Centurions but Hughes is not about to make any panic signings.

He said: "James has been one of the best lads our Academy has produced.

"I wish him all the best and I hope Chippenham treat him right.

"As he was a youngster on a modest wage it will be difficult to replace him.

"We're more likely to give another Academy lad a chance.

"Andy will have his operation at the start of January and I wouldn't like to guess how long he'll be out.

"Fortunately we're not short of defenders at the club, although Andy had started to play himself into the frame in midfield."

The loss of two fringe players has been countered by the return of first-choice target man Gareth Hopkins who has recovered from a knee injury picked up at Ilkeston four weeks ago.

Ciren will be looking to make it 11 league games unbeaten and gain revenge for an early-season 2-0 defeat at the hands of tomorrow's opponents.

"Sutton Coldfield are a big, strong, horrible side and they beat us up at our place," said Hughes.

"We cannot let that happen again if we are to get a result."

n RAY Baverstock hopes his Supermarine side can take a leaf out of his former club's book in a bid to secure an all-important top seven place in the Dr Martens Western Division.

While Marine have proved they are a Southern League force this season, the consistency of the top sides has so far eluded them.

Superb wins against Halesowen and Clevedon have been undermined by sorry defeats to Bedworth and Taunton along with a string of draws in games they should have won.

Now Baverstock is using former employers and local rivals Cirencester as a template to which his current squad should strive ahead of the visit of Solihull tomorrow.

Ciren collected seven successive wins after a mediocre start to thrust them into the title frame and that's the type of form Baverstock hopes to emulate.

"We played very well in patches this season but just not consistently," said Baverstock. "We need to sustain a run like Cirencester did to keep us up there in the thick of it."

Marine have slipped to 10th, but remain just six points shy of third place.

Solihull are two places and one point ahead of Baverstock's boys and had the edge in a bad-tempered reverse fixture which finished 2-1 to the Midlanders back in August.

Goalkeeper Tom King is suspended following his red card in the FA Trophy tie at Maidenhead.

Chris Copp and Sean Terry are also banned.

Ian Gill will take over in goal with James Blastland continuing to partner Staurt Hodson as a makeshift centre half.

Dave Slattery returns to replace Terry and Darren McCluskey could claim a place on the bench after a long injury lay-off.