STEVE Banks is hoping to make a happy return to his old stamping ground as Wanderers look for a cup boost at Gillingham tonight.

The Reebok keeper, who has had to sit and watch while Keith Branagan has secured the No 1 spot this season, is waiting for the call for a Worthington Cup clash Colin Todd believes could spark an upturn in his team's League fortunes.

Banks, a former Gilingham Player of the Year who always impressed on his return to the tiny Kent ground in his Blackpool days, is guaranteed a warm welcome at Priestfield whether he is in the starting line-up or on the subs' bench.

Todd will not name his side until just before the game but he said this morning that he was not envisaging many changes to the team beaten 2-1 at Charlton on Saturday - a result that left Wanderers just one point off the foot of Division One.

Greg Strong had been touted for a possible return after making way for Gudni Bergsson at The Valley but the experienced Icelander, criticised by his manager, looks set to keep his place.

It's two from four up front with Dean Holdsworth, Bo Hansen, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Bob Taylor all in with a shout for a game some might see as a hindrance with League matters being top of the priority list.

Not Todd, however. He sees the first leg of the second round tie as a chance to boost confidence ahead of Saturday's home test against Barnsley as well as an opportunity to secure a possible plum tie in the next round.

"I've got one eye on Saturday," the manager explained. "If we perform well and come back with a positive result, it could set us up nicely for the Barnsley game.

"But once again, I've warned the players they could be in for a hard time. I'm told the dressing rooms are very cramped but I don't want to hear anyone moaning about the surroundings and I've told them to expect a physical game.

"Gillingham will have no respect for us."

The Gills hope to have top scorer Robert Taylor back after he missed Saturday's 2-1 win at Oxford with flu but Manny Omoyinmi, the Nigerian-born former England Schoolboy international who scored the sensational winner at the Manor Ground, may not be eligible under the terms of his loan agreement from West Ham.

Wanderers are to ask referee Paul Robinson to look at the video of Saturday's game and reconsider his decision to send off skipper Mike Whitlow for two bookable offences. But the Charlton club video broke down and they have had to go to Sky for a copy of their video of the match!

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