STOURBRIDGE will look to cement their position in the play-off places this Saturday when they travel to Poole.

Glassboys manager Gary Hackett has highlighted the importance of this weekend’s clash with their fellow Southern League Premier promotion hopefuls.

Even though seventh-placed Poole are 11 points adrift of Stourbridge, the Dorset side currently have eight games in hand.

Hackett said: “Saturday’s game is important because it will be vital to keep that gap between us and Poole at this stage of the season.

“They have lots of games in hand and have had a fantastic season, but we have points in the bag and that could be key.

“I believe it will come down to which teams keep their nerve as the end of the season approaches. “We now have 12 cup finals and I think this season will go right to the wire.

“We know how important it is to keep the gap between us and Poole.”

The Glassboys bounced back from a 4-1 loss to league leaders Hemel Hempstead last weekend by beating Banbury United 4-0 away on Tuesday night.

Ben Billingham and Luke Benbow both hit two goals each as they saw off the mid-table opposition.

Hackett praised the professional performance of his players.

“We were very professional in everything that we did and could have added even more towards the end,” he said.

“It was important that we bounced back in the way we did.

“The game against Hemel Hempstead was quite controversial, to say the least.

“We were the best team for the better part of the game, but didn’t get the rub of the green with many of the decisions.

“The players were hurting after that loss and really wanted to put it right, which they did on Tuesday night. Now they can build on that against Poole.”

The Glassboys will now be without midfielder Louis Harris for three games due to suspension. However, Hackett is confident that the squad can fill the gap.

“We will be using the players we already have at our disposal and I’m confident we will be able to deal with his loss from within,” he added.