Sidmouth Town head for Okehampton Argyle on Saturday (February 6) with very nearly the strongest squad that manager Josh Stunell has been able to field this season.

The one negative in terms of the Vikings team is that goalkeeper Alex Bowring broke a finger turning out for Newton Poppleford last weekend and so will have a spell out.

Stunell says: “Dec Lines comes up from the Reserves. Young Dec has been with us before and is very capable. It’s a big opportunity for the lad.”

Devon Under-18 striker Jamie Orchard looks set to make his debut and Cameron Vere has benefited from the recent rain-induced Town lay-off to be able to take his place in the side.

Stunell says: “We really are as strong as we can be and it also means that we are able to assist Paddy and Gary (Town Reserves’ management duo Paddy Thomas and Gary Baldry) with their planning by giving them Dave Green and Tyler Wellman this week.”

Stunell continued: “Paddy and Gary do a terrific job and I know Paddy very much has his eye on the bigger picture with the club in terms of the development of players. It is really pleasing for me that we are able to be at such strength and therefore able to help them out.”

In terms of the game at Okehampton, Stunell says: “It is something of a banana skin in as much as they (Okehampton) are bottom and yet to win a game. That said we had a close encounter - score wise - with them in November when we beat them 3-2 at our place.

“There’s one way for us to go at Okehampton and that is to attack. For once we can have no excuses in terms of players on duty and so I fancy that if we take the game to them and keep things tight at the back then we’ll bring back what we hope to bring back. We need the game now, and we need the win. Hopefully the season will now kick back in and we’ll get some momentum going.”