Ashley Vincent and Paul Connor are looking forward to shouldering the burden of providing the goals for Cheltenham Town this season following Steven Gillespie’s departure and warn fans “don’t bet against us”.
The Robins may be the bookies favourites to be relegated from League One on the eve of the new season but Vincent and Connor, the club’s only two, fit strikers are confident Cheltenham can improve on last season and climb the table - with or without further signings.
Northampton away will be the first test of their credentials and Sixfields stadium will be a suitable acid test for manager Keith Downing’s side following an encouraging summer on the training pitch.
Vincent said: “We’ve played some good football during pre-season and we’re confident we can upset the bookies.
“They always have us as favourites to go down every single year; even in League Two I think we might have been one of the favourites. We just need to stick together, put in our performances and work hard as a team.
“We want to improve on last season. We have to be ambitious whether people write us off or don’t think we can do it, our aim is to be better than last year and that means not going into the last day with our fate in our own hands aiming for survival.
“We want to be aiming towards mid table come the last eight weeks of the season and then you never know where that might take you.
The 22-year-old forward scored twice in 19 appearances last year while confined to operating from the flanks but fired in a memorable 25-yard strike against local rivals Swindon – a reminder of his talent – and is relishing his partnership with Connor.
Vincent said: “We’re working very hard in training and we’re finding each other with some good movement. The new coach here, Phil Robinson has been working hard with us both on our movement and our shooting.
“Connor is the big man and gets the nice touches and I tend to get in behind and I think we’re complementing each other at the moment and hopefully that can continue.
“Northampton are a different side now, as we are, from when I first played them in League Two when I was 19. They’ll be big and strong. It will be a good game. We both want to get off to good starts and both teams will be looking forward to getting that big kick-off on Saturday.
Connor, his partner for the match barring the unlikely appearance of any new signings, wrote himself into the club’s folklore with his 85th minute winner against Doncaster Rovers to save Cheltenham from relegation in the last match of last season.
The former Middlesbrough trainee has fond memories of Sixfields, finding the net there with his last two clubs, Leyton Orient and Swansea, before he joined the Robins for £25,000 in January 2007.
Cheltenham have not won away at Northampton in their last four visits and 29-year-old Connor is hoping he can continue his run to help turn that statistic around.
He said: “Northampton are always a strong physical side. You know what you’re going to get when you go there. It’s always a tough game. I’ve managed to score a few goals at their ground over the years so hopefully it will be another good day for me.”
The Robins may be the bookies favourites to be relegated from League One on the eve of the new season but Vincent and Connor, the club’s only two, fit strikers are confident Cheltenham can improve on last season and climb the table - with or without further signings.
Northampton away will be the first test of their credentials and Sixfields stadium will be a suitable acid test for manager Keith Downing’s side following an encouraging summer on the training pitch.
Vincent said: “We’ve played some good football during pre-season and we’re confident we can upset the bookies.
“They always have us as favourites to go down every single year; even in League Two I think we might have been one of the favourites. We just need to stick together, put in our performances and work hard as a team.
“We want to improve on last season. We have to be ambitious whether people write us off or don’t think we can do it, our aim is to be better than last year and that means not going into the last day with our fate in our own hands aiming for survival.
“We want to be aiming towards mid table come the last eight weeks of the season and then you never know where that might take you.
The 22-year-old forward scored twice in 19 appearances last year while confined to operating from the flanks but fired in a memorable 25-yard strike against local rivals Swindon – a reminder of his talent – and is relishing his partnership with Connor.
Vincent said: “We’re working very hard in training and we’re finding each other with some good movement. The new coach here, Phil Robinson has been working hard with us both on our movement and our shooting.
“Connor is the big man and gets the nice touches and I tend to get in behind and I think we’re complementing each other at the moment and hopefully that can continue.
“Northampton are a different side now, as we are, from when I first played them in League Two when I was 19. They’ll be big and strong. It will be a good game. We both want to get off to good starts and both teams will be looking forward to getting that big kick-off on Saturday.
Connor, his partner for the match barring the unlikely appearance of any new signings, wrote himself into the club’s folklore with his 85th minute winner against Doncaster Rovers to save Cheltenham from relegation in the last match of last season.
The former Middlesbrough trainee has fond memories of Sixfields, finding the net there with his last two clubs, Leyton Orient and Swansea, before he joined the Robins for £25,000 in January 2007.
Cheltenham have not won away at Northampton in their last four visits and 29-year-old Connor is hoping he can continue his run to help turn that statistic around.
He said: “Northampton are always a strong physical side. You know what you’re going to get when you go there. It’s always a tough game. I’ve managed to score a few goals at their ground over the years so hopefully it will be another good day for me.”
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