League Two Preview: Milton and Jones target Cheltenham turnaround

With their immediate futures confirmed this week, Russell Milton and Steve Jones take Cheltenham Town to Accrington Stanley on Friday.

Having been handed the reins at Cheltenham Town until the end of the season this week, Russell Milton and Steve Jones will hope to boost the club’s League Two survival bid with victory at Accrington Staney on Friday.

Following the departure of Paul Buckle after less than three months in charge, the pair took charge for the weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Bury, which left them 23rd.

But Jones, who is working as Milton’s assistant, took plenty of positives from Saturday’s loss and is encouraging Cheltenham’s players to rise to the challenge.

“I love being involved in the game, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere other than Cheltenham right now and I’m ready for the fight,” he told the Gloucestershire Echo.

“We have fight and spirit, we have pace and a spark up front and if the midfielders know their responsibilities then we can build.

“It’s not going to be pretty, it’s not a time for expansive football, it’s about getting in teams’ faces, getting them turned and getting further up the pitch. I am very confident about this group.”

York City moved out of the bottom two last weekend thanks to a 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers, with Northampton Town the next challenge for Russ Wilcox’s men, while Tranmere host table-toppers Shrewsbury Town.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has added to his attacking ranks in a bid to make the most of any potential Tranmere slip-up – well-travelled striker Mickael Antoine-Curier joining in midweek ahead of Saturday’s trip to Dagenham and Redbridge.

Third-placed Wycombe Wanderers make the trip north looking to condemn Carlisle United to a third consecutive league defeat, while play-off hopefuls Luton Town and Southend United travel to AFC Wimbledon and Stevenage respectively.

St James Park will host  a Devon derby as Exeter City welcome Plymouth Argyle looking to avenge August’s 3-0 defeat at Home Park, and managerless Newport County entertain Morecambe.

Elsewhere, rock-bottom Hartlepool United head to Bury, Oxford United face Mansfield Town, and Portsmouth visit a Cambridge United side struggling for form.