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[Darren]

Shotton return boosts Alty
By Connor Murphy
Comment
ALTY have been boosted by the return of Ryan Shotton ahead of tomorrow's Blue Square Premier clash with fellow part-timers Histon.

The on-loan Stoke defender has been ruled out of the past two games, against Farsley and Stevenage, with a calf strain but is now fully recovered.

It means Val Owen and Colin Potts are now the only players sidelined, although both could be out long term.

Owen was due to undergo another scan today on his problematic foot, while Potts is expected to need keyhole surgery on his knee problem, keeping him out for up to four weeks.

Meanwhile, Histon have virtually a full bill of health and hope to have Antonio Murray back after illness.

It will be the second time the two teams have met in just four weeks, the last game ending in a 1-0 win for the Cambridgeshire side.

That defeat came at the end of a difficult run for the Robins, which had seen them, bereft of confidence, go five league games without a win.

But since their undeserved defeat at the hands of Millwall in the FA Cup, performances have improved drastically.

A 3-2 triumph over Weymouth was followed by a 1-1 draw at Farsley - a game in which the Robins had an avalanche of goalscoring chances.

Possibly the most impressive display was in Monday's visit to Stevenage. Alty left Broadhall Way empty-handed, yet mystified they had not secured at least a point.

A display of crisp, incisive passing football was undone only by two basic errors, which have too often been the Robins' downfall this season.

The nature of their performance will send them into the game against Histon full of confidence and a win against the part-time club will be seen as absolutely vital with Alty just two points behind Farsley in the battle to escape the relegation zone.

2:13pm today