GARY Smith has hinted he will stick to playing two strikers when second in the League 1 table Doncaster Rovers visit the Lamex Stadium on Saturday.

The 4-4-2 formation played dividends for Boro as they won 2-1 away at Crewe Alexandra last weekend, with Lucas Akins and Marcus Haber getting the nod in attack.

Smith, who had been playing just one up front for most of the season, has now signed two forwards on loan in Watford’s Steve Beleck and Sam Hoskins, from Southampton, to bolster his options in the final third.

And he may well keep faith with two front runners as Boro look to end their winless home streak which stretches back to the 2-1 victory over Portsmouth on October 23.

“Given the positive nature of the [Crewe] game, of course it is something that I want to try to stick with,” he told The Comet.

“Everybody seems fit and healthy, it’ll just be a case of making sure that the front two are the two we need in this game.

“When you have got choices and you have got competition you have to make decisions and that is a good place to be.”

When asked if the home faithful will see Cameroon youngster Beleck, who come off the bench at Crewe, and the teenage Hoskins, he replied: “Hopefully so in one-way, shape or form, I’ve not made my mind up at this point as to the starting pair up-front or the line-up in general.

“Some of the positions speak for themselves, but at this point in time it’s good to keep the players on their toes, there’s quite a lot of competition there and I want to make sure that whoever steps on the field is going to be absolutely frothing at the mouth to get the job done and it will leave guys on the bench initially disappointed, but in the end it will give us something coming off the bench when needed.”