Orin Blackshaw has been named in the Bobington Rovers squad for Saturday’s home match against Port Caravel Wanderers, his first appearance since the knee injury sustained against Haverford Town on 22 February. Manager Phillipa Corbett confirmed the selection at this morning’s press conference with the brevity that has become her trademark.

“He’s fit. He’s available. He’ll play some part.”

Whether that part is 90 minutes from the start or a carefully managed introduction from the bench remains to be seen. Blackshaw has been in full training for a week and completed contact drills without incident. Club physiotherapist Dr Lena Sorrens has cleared him. But a 25-day absence is a 25-day absence, and Corbett is nothing if not cautious with her captain.

The likely arrangement is this: Theo Harwick starts, as he has in Blackshaw’s absence, with the captain on the bench ready for the second half. Harwick has earned his place — 8 aerial duels against Ashwick Borough, 11 against Thornbury, 9 against Caravel City, a goal-line clearance at Bridgewater. The 20-year-old academy graduate has done everything asked of him, and the crowd has noticed.

“Theo Harwick has shown this football club something,” Corbett said. “When Orin comes back — and he will come back — the team is stronger for what Theo has done.”

Rovers sit 14th with 36 points, 10 clear of the relegation places with seven matches remaining. The arithmetic is comfortable but not conclusive. Three more points from seven matches would guarantee survival. A win on Saturday would effectively settle the matter.

Port Caravel Wanderers travel to Bridgewater Stadium in the bottom half themselves — 16th, five points above the drop. For them, Saturday is not about history. It is about survival.

But for Rovers, the opponent carries weight. Port Caravel were the visitors on the final day of the 1973 season, when Bobington needed a win to avoid relegation and got one — Dunmore père scoring the only goal in the 83rd minute. The elder Dunmore’s grandson, Kael, now wears the number 8 shirt and scored from 35 yards to win the Merchants’ Cup five weeks ago.

Corbett, who was not born in 1973, declined to indulge the historical parallel. “I don’t pick teams based on what happened fifty-three years ago,” she said. “I pick teams based on who can win on Saturday.”

Nadia Osei, who has five goals in her last six league appearances, is expected to start on the left wing. Harte, whose first league goal against Ashwick Borough was a deserved reward for weeks of improving form, will occupy the right. Sully Marsh, as ever, will keep goal and provide the sort of command from the back that makes Corbett’s pragmatism possible.

Kick-off is at 3 PM. The weather forecast is dry with partial cloud. The gate is expected to exceed 40,000 — a reflection of the cup win’s lingering warmth and the fact that the people of Bobington, having spent the winter worrying, would rather like to watch their team play football on a spring afternoon.