The 220-mile trip from Greater Manchester to South Somerset will be a major challenge facing an in-form Altrincham side as they arrive at Huish Park tonight.
The part-time outfit are making their first midweek away trip – an anticipated eight-hour round journey – after many of the squad will have been at work, but they will arrive in good form.
The visitors have six wins and three defeats in their opening nine fixtures of the season and last time out they beat high-flying Dagenham & Redbridge on the road.
That has put the part timers one point off the play-offs with games in hand over many above them, one of which arrives against Yeovil as the only midweek National League fixture.
The only solace which it appears can be found is that two of their three defeats have come away from home with a 1-0 defeat at Wealdstone on September 11 and a 2-0 reverse at FC Halifax Town on August Bank Holiday Monday.
At home, the Robins are playing the type of creative, attacking football Yeovil fans are crying out for, but Glovers’ boss Darren Sarll will be hoping this open approach works against them on the road.
There’s no real stars in the Altrincham side although all-action midfielder Dan Mooney is top scorer with four already this season alongside the speedy Ryan Colclough.
One player in the visitors’ side formerly of Yeovil parish in AJ Leitch-Smith. Don’t even think it.
FROM THE MANAGER
Speaking to Alty TV after the 2-0 win at home to Maidenhead United on Saturday, Alty boss Phil Parkinson said the four-hour trip to South Somerset would be testing for his in-form side.
He said: “It’s so important we won (against Maidenhead) because we know everything is going to be against us.
“Even if you travel on the Friday to do the Saturday at Yeovil, the travel is sapping there is no getting away from it.
“But our lads will go there an acquit themselves brilliantly and we will go and do what we always do and try and get a win.
“There’s no point in being reserved with this team, we just have to unleash them and play in the right way.
“It is going to be a massive ask to go there midweek and get a result when our lads have been working before they are going.”
However, the manager has no doubts about his side’s ability to get a result at Huish Park having picked up six wins in their opening nine National League fixtures.
He added: “I have said to the players, if we want to be taken seriously we can’t go games without winning, I think we went five games last season where we didn’t win.
“We can’t do that if we want to keep pushing and the lads certainly stood up and were counted.
“It feels very similar to the other groups we have had in the past here where they can smell blood and they go and finish a team off.”
TEAM NEWS
Visiting boss Phil Parkinson has the luxury of naming the same team which picked up a 2-0 home win over Maidenhead United at the weekend.
There are no fresh injury concerns with striker Tom Peers, who scored as a substitute in the 4-3 win over the Glovers in Greater Manchester at the end of last season, staking a claim for a start having come off the bench on Saturday to net the second.
However, it seems likely Alty will stick Marcus Dinanga, who joined from Stevenage in the summer, seems likely to start alongside Matthew Kosylo, the scorer of his side’s other at the weekend.
Midfielder Connor Kirby is the only injured player for the visitors after he suffered a season-ending double compound fracture in the defeat at Wealdstone a month ago.
Another summer signing, experienced midfielder Ben Pringle who joined from Morecambe, has impressed so far this season and seems certain to start in the middle of the park.
A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS
AJ Leitch-Smith has already been mentioned. The 31-year-old forward spent the 2014-15 season at Huish Park before departing back to his native Cheshire to join Port Vale, and arrived at Moss Road from Morecambe in the summer.
He came off the bench at the weekend and seems likely to start as a substitute on his return to South Somerset.
Last season, central defender and now Wales under-21 international Billy Sass-Davies turned out for both sides whilst on loan from Crewe Alexandra and was in the patched-up Glovers’ side which went down 4-3 at Alty at the end of last season.
Full-back Mark Lynch, who played 31 times in green-and-white between 2006 and 2008, finished his career at Alty in 2012, but other than that we’re struggling a bit.
How about inside forward Albert Foulds, who started his career in the youth team at Alty before playing a season at Yeovil in the 1949-50 season?