If Saturday’s draw with Caravel City was the result that proved Bobington Rovers belong in this division, Wednesday at Thornbury is the match that will prove they intend to stay.

The Academicals sit third in the Premier Division, chasing an improbable title challenge of their own. They have lost once at home all season. Their defensive record is the second-best in the league, behind only the Caravel side that Rovers held to a draw forty-eight hours ago. This is not a fixture that flatters visiting teams.

Corbett, who oversaw Saturday’s heroic performance at Bridgewater — Nadia Osei’s extraordinary half-volley, Theo Harwick’s nine aerial duels, Sully Marsh’s fingertip save from Eames — will travel to Thornbury with a squad running on adrenaline and modest depth.

“Nobody will feel sorry for us at Thornbury,” Corbett said at Monday’s training session. “They’re fighting for something too. We’ll need to be organised, we’ll need to be brave, and we’ll need the same willingness to suffer that we showed on Saturday.”

Harwick, who at twenty years old has now started three consecutive Premier Division matches since replacing the injured Blackshaw, has been one of the stories of the season. His performance against Caravel — including a goal-line clearance in the 84th minute that preserved the point — drew praise from opposing manager Yannick Barbier, who said simply: “He played like a man who has been doing this for years.”

Blackshaw, who watched Saturday’s match from the directors’ box, is progressing steadily but is not expected to be available before the home match against Port Caravel Wanderers on 21 March. Dr Lena Sorrens has maintained a cautious timeline throughout.

Harte, whose half-time introduction on Saturday transformed the midfield, is expected to start on Wednesday. Osei, despite the exertions of her spectacular equaliser, trained fully on Monday and is available.

Rovers have 33 points from 27 matches, sitting 14th — seven clear of the relegation places with eleven matches remaining. Safety is not yet assured mathematically, but the gap is comfortable enough that Corbett can afford to play with a measure of ambition rather than pure survival.

Whether ambition survives its first encounter with Thornbury’s back four is another matter entirely. Wednesday evening, 7:30 kick-off.