Rhys Shulver says Haverhill Borough need no motivation while Ben Cowling and Haverhill Rovers are hoping to ‘rectify’ reverse fixture in tonight’s derby at The New Croft

Haverhill Borough boss Rhys Shulver has stressed that his side do not need any motivation to beat local rivals Haverhill Rovers tonight (7.45pm), while opposition boss Ben Cowling is hoping his team can ‘rectify’ their performance in the reverse fixture.

When the two sides met at The New Croft in September, they played out a seven-goal thriller that the blue side of Haverhill edged 4-3.

But since that meeting, Borough have only won three matches, one of which they recorded on Saturday when they defeated relegation rivals Leiston Under-23s 5-4 away from home in a dramatic affair.

After taking a 2-0 lead, thanks to a brace from Connall McErlain, the hosts scored three times to turn the contest around heading into half-time.

However, a second-half hat-trick from Craig Hughes, who moved from defender to striker after the break, helped Borough on their way to a vital three points.

Sitting four points from guaranteed safety, with a game in hand on the side above them, Shulver’s side have not been able to string together back-to-back victories in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North this campaign.

“I think for the boys, they're going to be quite excited and I don’t think a lot of motivation is really needed,” said the Borough boss on potentially completing the double on their rivals.

“We’re quite realistic. There’s been times where we’ve picked up a win and then gone on a run for two, three or four games and not got anything.

“I know people will naturally hype up the game, but for us in reality, it’s a journey and we need to pick up points wherever we can.

“I know we won the first fixture but the league table doesn’t lie. We’re still in a position where we’re looking up and going ‘this is going to be difficult’.”

Shulver was quick to praise Cowling, and the work he has done with Rovers, but the Borough boss admitted he has Tuesday's fixture away at second-from-bottom Whitton United in the back of his mind (7.45pm).

While the blue side of Haverhill are fighting to remain in the division, Rovers had their eyes on a second-half-of-the-season play-off push, but this was dealt a blow in recent weeks, as Cowling’s side are without a win in their last three matches.

After facing top-of-the-table Framlingham Town two weeks prior, Rovers hosted second-placed Great Yarmouth Town on Saturday, and they fell to a 4-1 defeat at The New Croft – Luke Haines got the hosts’ only goal.

Cowling admitted his side were ‘punished’ for their mistakes at the weekend, as his attention’s turn to tonight’s derby.

“For us, it’s a game we need three points from. Clearly, we didn’t play well in the home fixture and we want to rectify that,” he said.

“At the moment, we seem to have hit a little bit of a sticky patch in terms of scoring. We’re not taking the chances that we’re creating. That puts pressure on you at the other end of the pitch.

“I think a lot of the team has changed since that point. I guess we just need to make sure that we turn up and continue in the same vain with our general play, but be better in both boxes.”

Rovers currently sit 15th after their run of three games without a win, but Cowling said that on paper, their team should not be where they are in the table.

“We’ve got some very good players in the group, and if we finish the season in a similar position to where we are at the minute I’ll be very, very disappointed,” he said.

“It’s out of our hands now, so all we can do is look after our own results and see where we get to.”