BASINGSTOKE Town manager Frank Gray is expecting Hampshire rivals Eastleigh to give his side much more of a test on Saturday than they did on the opening day of the season.

The Camrose Blues recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Silverlake Stadium in August, with Delano Sam-Yorke scoring twice in the first half to wrap up the points.

It was a sign of things to come for Eastleigh, who made the move to full-time football in the summer. They lost their opening three games in the Blue Square Bet South and won just two of their first 10.

However, they have picked up in recent weeks, suffering just two defeats in their last nine league games to give themselves an outside chance of reaching the play-offs.

Town boss Gray said: “Eastleigh have changed it around in the last month or so, bringing in new players and spending quite a bit of money. It will be a tough game and we have to be ready for it.

“It will certainly be more difficult than the first game. They have had some new investment and strengthened the squad in a few positions.”

One player Eastleigh have brought in on loan is Aldershot striker Bradley Bubb, who scored three goals in nine games during a loan spell at The Camrose recently.

He is set to make his debut for his new team on Saturday, while another player to watch out for is tricky winger Damian Scannell, who joined from Dagenham and Redbridge in December.

Gray said: “They have got some dangerous forwards and Damien Scannell is a good player, one of quite a few they have got now.

“I’m not upset about Bradley going there because we simply could not compete with the terms of the loan Eastleigh offered Aldershot.

“He has got an eye for goal and is a threat. He showed that in his time here so he is certainly a player we have to be aware of.”

With both sides still harbouring faint play-off hopes and needing victories to keep them alive, Saturday’s game looks set to be a really open affair. Town may have only won one of their last seven games but Gray plans to send his players out with instructions to attack – and he believes that Eastleigh will have the same gameplan.

“The aim for us is certainly to get back on track as quickly as possible,” he said. “We need to start winning games again – and we will go out there with nothing but winning the game on our mind.

“Eastleigh are in a position where they think that a good run could get them into the play-offs. They will be trying to win every game and I expect them to be positive as well.”

Gray will be without winger Matt Warner, who is in America on business, while midfielder Jide Ogunbote is a major doubt with a groin problem. However, Aldershot loanee Adam Mekki should return to action, while Delano Sam-Yorke could be in contention for a starting berth.

Basingstoke were due to host Salisbury City on Tuesday night but the game had to be postponed due to a frozen pitch and will now take place on February 14.