Yeovil Town are back in SkyBet League One action this coming Tuesday night when the Glovers host top of the table Bristol City.
This of course, is more than just a normal Tuesday night fixture under the Huish Park floodlights, this game has so much more at stake.
Firstly, it is top vs bottom, with high flying City looking to book their place in the Championship at the earliest possible opportunity.
At the other end, the Glovers are looking to get out of trouble and avoid successive relegations.
Throw in the extra incentive of the derby fixture and the return of three former Glovers in the City side and all the elements are there for a cracking fixture.
Yeovil are coming off the back of a fantastic win on Saturday, a last gasp James Hayter goal secured a come-from-behind win over Oldham Athletic.
That win drew the Glovers within three points of safety; a win on Tuesday could see Yeovil come within goal difference of the magical 20th place.
The victory on Saturday went some way to turning decent performances into valuable points, draws over Scunthorpe and Gillingham have both had a ‘near but so far’ feeling about them.
The visitors from just up the A37 are on a very impressive run of form themselves, four wins on the spin have seen the Robins cement their place at the top of the pile, a full 10 points ahead of second placed Preston.
Their last two games have both been away from home at sides struggling at the wrong end of the table and both have seen City come away with all three points.
At Leyton Orient, a 3-1 win secured the victory and at Crawley they overcame a stubborn home side 2-1.
The win on Saturday was wrapped up with a goal from a certain Luke Ayling.
Ayling is just one of three former Huish Park men who will be in the squad on Tuesday night with the ‘Twansfer’ Kieran Agard and former loanee Luke Freeman
It is not just City who shall be parading their returning stars, but Yeovil have Chris Weale, Joe Edwards and Simon Gillett on their payroll too.
The irony here is that all three are fitness doubts, with Weale and Edwards returning to training recently, they have a chance of being involved, but Gillett is out for the season.
There are other injury concerns in the squad with Stephen Kingsley and Liam Davis missing from the squad on Saturday and Artur Krysiak only returning to the bench following his head injury against Scunthorpe.
Should Kingsley return to the squad, two other loan players will have to miss out on the chance to be involved in the 18.
Ben Nugent has been one of the loanees to miss out recently – the last time all seven were available for selection it was he and Fulham defender Stephen Artherworry to sit out.
It was however, Nugent who scored the only Yeovil goal of the game the last time the two sides met, on Boxing Day.
City came out on top, 2-1 in the end with goals from Matt Smith and Jay Emanuel Thomas.
Smith, who was onl loan from Fulham at the time has now returned to his parent club and isn’t available for selection this midweek.
It is also worth noting that Bristol City’s hectic schedule doesn’t get any easier – they have a Wembley final to plan for at the end of the month.
The Johnstones Paint Trophy final against Walsall takes place on the weekend that this fixture was originally scheduled for.
As we’ve already mentioned, the last meeting took place as part of the festive fixtures but it will be of no surprise that the sides have a long history of playing against each other.
I hope you don’t mind, but I won’t go back through the entire history of the head to heads, but stick to some of the more recent encounters
The two teams haven’t actually met in a league fixture since 2007, the Glovers lost the away leg that season but did actually come out on top at Huish Park.
Arron Davies and Wayne Gray scoring in front of the Huish Park crowd that day.
Since then, the sides have met in friendly matches only and despite regular matches the clubs have actually only met four times in the Football League.
David Poole scored the only goal in a 1-1 draw in the first meeting before City notched another 2-1 win later that season in 2006.
On to this Tuesday then and Glovers fans who have been boosted by Saturday’s win can still make sure they are at the game this Tuesday.
Tickets are available in person, online and over the phone to any Glovers fans who have a history of purchases with the club.
Supporters will need to confirm their address and card details with the system to prevent away fans entering the home ends on the night.
This is the final game of the three home matches in a row and Terry Skiverton and Darren Way want a packed house under the floodlights in order to help pull off an upset of the highest order to help their survival campaign.
As ever, if you are unable to make the game, this might be one to tune in to on Glovers Player.
The club’s official YouTube channel will have highlights as well as video interviews within 24 hours and you can keep up to date with goings on via Twitter and Facebook.
It’s Derby Day this Tuesday night, but with so much more on the line it is the biggest game of the season by far.
FAMOUS FANS.
Bristol City seems to be the team of choice for comedians.
Mark Watson, John Cleese, Tony Robinson, Justin Lee Collins.
A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS (This could take a while)
Kieran Agard, Kevin Amankwaah, Luke Ayling, Kevin Betsy, Len Bond, Mitch Brundle, Steven Caulker, Steve Collis, Terry Connor, Luke Freeman, Gerry Gow, Lee Johnson, Marcus Stewart, Lee Matthews, Jamie McAllister, Michael McIndoe, Alex Russell, Ivan Sproule, Gavin Williams, Brendan Moloney and more than likely, countless others I’ve missed. Plus of course… Joe Edwards, Simon Gillett, Chris Weale.
DID YOU KNOW?
Bristol University was the first in Britain to admit women on an equal level to men.