Since the appointment of Stuart Campbell to the managers post at Bristol Rovers there has been an upturn in the football on display, a win over Tranmere just a day after he took the reins was followed by a game against promotion chasing Huddersfield Town which saw Rovers unfortunate not to collect at least a point, having had two goals disallowed and a penalty shout getting turned down by the referee, all in the space of the last ten minutes.
But now is not the time for good performances alone, without the end results going their way Rovers, who currently have the weight of 23 teams above them on their shoulders, will almost certainly go down.
One possible glimmer of hope for their survival means a horrific end for one of their west country rivals as Plymouth Argyle threaten to implode. Rovers have lost a possible six points to Plymouth this season and if, heaven forbid, they do go under Rovers would become level on points with both Tranmere and Walsall and sit just one off of Yeovil, but that's not a scenario the club could look back on with any pride if it did mean survival at seasons end.
Under Dave Penney the players seemed to lack any motivation and some looked as though they didn't care but under Campbell there is a new air of confidence, a man they all know and trust and who is regarded as a legend by many fans having given seven years service to the blue and white shirt, and in midweek another fans favourite returned to the club in the shape of former centre back Craig Hinton.
'Hints' spent five years at Rovers putting in innumerous solid displays across the backline but is most fondly remembered for his five goals during the 2007/08 season which earned him the nickname 'Goal Machine'. Three of those goals came in Rovers epic run to the quarter finals of the FA Cup, his header at Craven Cottage making Rovers trip to Premier League Fulham a day that many fans will never forget. Aside from his 100% effort games on the pitch Hinton was also a lively character in the dressing room, something which Campbell no doubt wishes to capture.
Despite having won only three League games since October this Rovers team are playing with a new air of confidence under Campbell who has taken to employing a 4-2-3-1 formation, sitting Gavin Williams in the hole just behind Will Hoskins. It is Hoskins, however, who has looked out of form in recent games, admitting that his fitness has been questionable during a sequence that hasn't seen him score in the seven games since defeat at Rochdale.
This weekend Rovers face a Notts county team who, despite currently having only 42 points, are a good bet to stay up this season with either three or four games in hand over those who currently fill the bottom four.
Since October last year County have been under the leadership of former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince who returned to management after an unproductive second stint in charge of MK Dons. Though, their league form looks set to leave them in a lower mid-table position fans of the Magpies will look back on a season that has seen them beat League 1 high flyers Bournemouth and Premier League Sunderland in the FA Cup before taking Manchester City to a replay, having briefly lead against the multi-millionaires at Meadow Lane in the original tie.
Notts have played six games since that cup defeat, winning two, drawing one and losing three, though for the last five games of that run in they have been without talismanic striker Lee Hughes who looks set to return this coming weekend, although, none of Hughes' 12 goals thus far this season have come in the last four appearances he has been able to make for the club. The controversial Hughes is not likely to be the only County player to receive a few jeers from the travelling Gasheads as pacy wingman Ivan Sproule is currently on loan at the club from Bristol City.
Rovers have won the last three games they have played against County, beating them 2-1 at the Mem earlier this season, Notts' then manager Craig Short not having too many favourable things to say about Paul Trollope's Rovers side after the result. The other two wins came back in Rovers last season in League 2, 2006/07. Rovers overall record against County doesn't make for good reading, this weekends home side having beaten Rovers 31 times compared to the 24 results that have gone the other way. None of the last fifteen games between the two clubs have seen more than three goals scored, with no more than two for either side individually.
Rovers will be without midfielder Dominic Blizzard who has joined his former Stockport manager Jim Gannon at Port Vale while young centre back Cian Bolger returned to Leicester City on Wednesday.
Centre back Dave McCracken is in contention for a place in the squad having overcome injury but Byron Anthony's ankle is unlikely to recover in time for him to feature.
Notts County striker Lee Hughes is likely to return from injury having missed the clubs previous five games but Craig Westcarr is out with a knee injury.
County have a large number of other players who will be missing including Alan Judge (foot), Ben Burgess (hamstring), Krystian Pearce (head), Karl Hawley (thigh), Lewis Gobern (knee), John Thompson (hamstring), Ricky Ravenhill (ankle) and Kevin Smith (foot). Carl Regan will also be unavailable due to the fact that Rovers are his parent club.
Newly appointed Gas assistant Craig Hinton is pleased to have been given the chance at Rovers and believes the Pirates can beat the drop, he told thisisbristol.co.uk:
"It's a good opportunity for me and I want to do all I can to try and get the club out of the situation they are in.
"I've got full belief that we can do it and I think the players have got that as well. Everybody needs to work together and push in the right direction. The fans are brilliant here and I know if we are all pulling together they will be fully behind us."
His manager Stuart Campbell knows that his charges have a big task ahead of them, telling BBC Radio Bristol:
"Every game we look at, we think 'this is the kind of game that we've got to go and win' because of our situation and Saturday will be no different.
"They've got a big name manager, who's very experienced and he'll have them well prepared.
"They're a very strong side and it's going to be a difficult game for us."
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