ROB Newman is convinced Kevin Bond's troops must win the battle in order to win the war as Cherries prepare to lock horns with old adversaries Gillingham.

Newman believes a clash of contrasting styles could be on the cards when the League One relegation rivals go head to head at Priestfield tomorrow (3pm kick-off).

The uncompromising Gills are currently one place and seven points above Cherries having plummeted into the mire following a dismal run of just one win in 13.

Cherries assistant boss Newman said: "Our current form is better than theirs and they are struggling a bit. Unlike us, they haven't lost 10 points and both teams are desperate for the win.

"I know their manager Mark Stimson and he does like to play football. But they are a physical side as well and we will need to match them.

"They've got a lot of players from non-league and sometimes they try to intimate the opposition. We've got to make sure we don't go down that road because if you crumble then the football goes out of the window.

"We've got to be strong enough to stand up to the physical battle, which we know we can expect and, hopefully, the players we've got are better than theirs and we can get the three points.

"It is a physical league and sometimes teams do try to beat you up if they know you are better footballers than they are because they have to stop you playing and rightly so.

"Our results and performances have picked up since Christmas and sometimes we've been in situations where we've had to stand up and be counted and we've done that.

"If we had done it at the start of the season then we wouldn't be in the situation we are in now but the players can only do what they're doing now so full credit to them."

Cherries head to Kent on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Yeovil six days ago and will be hoping to end a run of three successive away defeats.

And having been denied victory by Andrew Crofts's injury-time equaliser last season, Cherries will also be looking for their first win at the venue since 1983.

Newman added: "It was a comfortable win against Yeovil but you've still got to do it. We're going there full of confidence and thinking we've got a really good chance of winning."

Defender Warren Cummings admits he is "very unlikely" to feature after having a minor operation to clean up a shin injury following the Yeovil victory. His absence would leave boss Bond without both first-choice full-backs as Neil Young is also ruled out by an ankle injury. Lee Bradbury and Jo Tessem both return after missing the past three games.

New Gills loan signing Kevin Maher will be forced to sit out after collecting a three-match ban following his sending off against Crewe last week.

Cherries: (from) Forde, Cooper, Gowling, Pearce, Cummings, Gradel, Bartley, Hollands, Pitman, Vokes, Kuffour, Bradbury, Tessem, McQuoid, Partington, Franks, Finlay, Pryce.

Gillingham: (from) Royce, Fuller, Bygrave, King, Nutter, Bentley, Crofts, Miller, Mulligan, Facey, Oli, Jackson, Griffiths, Clohessy, Lewis, Stone, Howard, Cullip, Stillie.