DAVE Ferris is hoping that his Chippenham Park troops will be ready to raise their game once again when they welcome Barnstaple Town to Hardenhuish Park next weekend.

Park warmed up for this Saturday’s showdown with second-placed Barnstaple, who have been in irresistible free-scoring form so far this season, by holding Welton Rovers to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night.

The Somerset side went top of the Toolstation League First Division as a result of this week’s stalemate and Ferris thinks that his side have more than enough about them to pull off an upset against the league’s most fearsome attacking outfit.

“It’s another uphill battle for us this weekend and I guess playing Welton was a good warm-up,” said the Park manager.

“We felt that we should have got something when we went to Barnstaple (a 2-1 loss in December). We’ll respect them for the first 30 seconds before the whistle and then go try to take the game to them.

“We know how tough it’s going to be but hopefully we can raise our game again. We’ve not reached that level consistently but we know that we can match the top teams.

“We won’t be fearful of the task at hand.”

Defender Charlie Norman headed Park into the lead against Welton on Tuesday but the visitors’ Dan Cottle side-footed home the equaliser.

Ferris side: “The Welton manager said to their fans behind the goal that their goal was the softest they’d scored all season.

“I like to think that their lad meant to do it and that it was a bit of genius. Rather than go for power, he side-footed a shot and it’s gone at less than two miles an hour and gone in off the post.

“Will Giles, who was playing up front because we had no Mark Robinson, had a chance in the first half where he went round the keeper but rather than shoot first-time, he’s tried to walk it in the net and their defender has got back to tackle him.

“It’s a shame we didn’t go in to the break 2-0 up but if you’d offered me a draw before the game, I would have been happy with that.”