Key men may miss Rocks' big one

BOGNOR are sweating on the fitness of key duo Luke Nightingale and Chris Breach as they enter a make-or-break stage of their battle to stay in Conference South.

Striker and captain Nightingale's troublesome shoulder injury has kept him out of their past two games '“ the defeats at Bishop's Stortford and Eastbourne.

He is due to see a specialist tomorrow to find out whether pain-killing injections can continue to get him through games or if he needs an operation.

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If surgery is required, the club's leading scorer is likely to be out for two to three weeks.

Breach hobbled off 15 minutes into the Eastbourne game with a back injury after landing awkwardly.

He was having treatment yesterday and today on what is thought to be a trapped nerve and the backroom staff are hopeful he will be fit to face Braintree at Nyewood Lane on Saturday.

Either player will be missed if they are absent '“ and if Nightingale does need an operation, he could still be out on March 1 for the relegation six-pointer at Sutton, which Dan Beck is due to sit out suspended after picking up his fifth booking on Tuesday night.

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Boss Michael Birmingham is demanding his players make home advantage count on Saturday by cutting out the basic errors which have cost them dear in the past week.

"Braintree always give you a tough game and this will be no different. They had a superb win over Hampton & Richmond on Tuesday so come to us in good form.

"But we can be a match for anyone at home, as long as we get the obvious things right.

"Braintree will be driven on by their captain and coach Brad Quinton, who is probably the best player in the league at making runs into the box.

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"But to be honest I'm fed up with warning my players against opposition danger-men.

"Every time I do it, the very player I have warned about scores against in the first ten minutes. If we concentrate for 90 minutes, we can get a result."

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