THOUSANDS of people are expected to descend on Melksham Town’s Oakfields Stadium on Good Friday as they host a local derby against Bradford Town.

The two teams are separated by just a single point in the Toolstation Premier Division, as both aim for promotion this term.

Melksham are the occupiers of second place at the moment, but Bradford could overtake them with victory.

The last time the two teams met was on Boxing Day and Kieran Baggs was able to navigate his Melksham troops to a win at Trowbridge Road.

While Baggs is hoping for a similar outcome, he says the days itself is always a great occasion for those involved.

“Melksham v Bradford is always a massive game. It’s always a big crowd and I am sure the people around the county will flood into Oakfields,” said Baggs, who agrees the game has ‘added spice’ this time around.

“It will be great day no matter what. We put in a great performance on Boxing Day when we won 3-1, so I know Danny (Greaves) will come to win and look to end their bad run.

“They will come out all guns blazing, as they always do. It’s up to us to stand up to them and at least get a point.

“We are sitting second at the minute. When I sat down with Darren Perin (chairman) at the start of the season, we kept saying that the top four is the aim.

“Since I have been at Melksham, these have always been close games. It will be a tremendous game because they want to take points off us, we are their local rivals and their promotion rivals. It’s got that added spice.”

Bradford boss Greaves says his side plan on avenging their Boxing Day defeat, but stressed the outcome of this fixture does not define the club’s season.

The Bobcats go into the game in the midst of a sticky patch of form having picked up just one point from their last three fixtures. Greaves said: “You can’t play it down with the two clubs in the position that they are.

“It’s massive for our fans and we haven’t picked up the results in recent games. It is a big thing for the club and the area.

“From my point of view as a manager, it is just another three points and it is just another game, although there is a lot riding on it.

“If you turn up with too much hype and emption, then sometimes that can get the better of you, so we will treat it like any other game.

“If we win, it is not the end of the season, and equally if we lose, it’s not the end of our season either.

“It doesn’t secure anything because we all have tough run-ins. There is no doubt it’s a big game, but we will treat it like any other.”

Melksham were 1-0 winners away at Hengrove Athletic last weekend, with Rob Hobbs getting the only goal of the game.

Meanwhile, Bradford were beaten 3-1 at Chipping Sodbury Town.

Matt Morris had drawn the Bobcats level at half-time but the home side took control after the break.