Manager Steve Cotterill is looking to inspire a 'vocal' and 'up for it' crowd this weekend as we take on Boston United under the lights at The New Lawn - 5.30PM KO.

It's the second DAZN televised game in a matter of weeks having played York City in front of a buoyant atmosphere - a game we went onto win 2-0.

Rovers will be looking to inspire a special atmosphere against a Boston United side who have recently appointed former Newport County, Bristol Rovers and Mansfield Town boss Graham Coughlan as boss.

"We need this to become a difficult place to play against us," said Cotterill. "Not only for our players on the pitch, we need our supporters to be up for it and vocal as well."

In what is going to be a busy festive and New Year period at The New Lawn, Saturday's match against Boston is the start of a run that includes six league games and three cup games in front our own fans before the end of January.

The significant investment in the playing surface in the summer has so far proved important for both results on the pitch and a treatment table improving compared to previous seasons.

"The pitch is first class and has enabled us to play the football we have this year. There won't be a lot of difference between now and when the growing season starts in March-April.

"The training pitches, too, are also first class and shows the correlation between what we do in training and what we do on match day.

"If we'd have had a soil-based pitch with a hybrid pitch at the training ground - that would've been difficult on muscles.

"Some of the injuries we've picked up have been from going onto those soil-based pitches but that could've been worse if we'd have had one at home," Cotterill added.

The visiting Pilgrims appointed manager Coughlan following a disappointing start to the season.

His most recent role came at Newport County having departed in the summer of 2024, citing 'great memories' during his time at The Exiles on his departure from south Wales.

Boston made a winning start to his reign with a 3-1 win over Braintree Town, and have since improved confidence with cup wins over Newcastle U21s and Alvechurch.

Cotterill continued: "We know a few things have changed at Boston since we last met - Graham (Coughlan) will go in there and do a good job for them - I'm absolutely sure of that.

"He's chopped and changed a few formations - it's been difficult to get too much of a pattern as to what they will do so therefore our focus has been heavily on ourselves."

As for fitness, midfielder Liam Sercombe - who scored from the halfway line in the reverse fixture - is nearing a return to the squad.

"Sercs could be involved this week so that's a bonus. It was the secondary injury that slowed him down a little. We shut him down for five or six days and then started him up again - hopefully that has been enough to sort the injury out. And he's trained well this week, too.

"The squad is a team. We had a few weeks ago (against Weymouth) where we were struggling, and down to five bodies on the bench with two not really being able to go on.

"We've been short a few times but we're starting to look on the up. We're hoping that we can have a clean bill of health for a while, that would be nice!"

Tickets are still available for Saturday evening's match and can be purchased on-line, by calling the ticket office on 0333 123 1889 or by emailing reception@fgr.co.uk.