FOREST Green boss Ady Pennock will be hoping his side can give him the perfect birthday present with a victory at Southport tomorrow, Thursday.

Pennock will be taking a deep breath and blowing out 43 birthday candles, wishing his side can overcome their BT Sport live TV jinx.

“I’m not a fan of the TV stuff to be honest,” revealed Pennock.

“It lifts teams up and we haven’t won on TV, but a win on my birthday would be great.”

Pennock insists his side are right in the play-off mix with nine games to go, but says struggling Southport will provide a stern test for his unbeaten Rovers outfit.

He added: “Southport will be a tough nut to crack and they’re fighting for their lives.

“They’ve beaten all the top teams at home in our league and we need to be on our game.

“We’ve got nine games to go and we’re now in the play-off mix.

“When I first came in we were nowhere near the play-offs and if someone had told us we would be where we’re now I would have snapped their hands off.”

The former Stoke City coach felt the dour 0-0 draw at home to his old club Welling last Saturday was a point well earned.

“We didn’t score but I’m being really positive, so I look at it as a clean sheet and another point gained," he said.

“I’m really happy with what we did against a good Welling side and I think everyone should be happy because we’ve played a lot of games recently.”

Yan Klukowski (groin) is set to come into contention and may replace Marcus Kelly, who limped off with a hamstring strain against Welling.

Striker Danny Wright, so impressive as a second half substitute on Saturday, is forcing his way into Pennock’s plans.

Rovers are without a game on Saturday, but travel to Woking next Tuesday, 7.45pm.