Paul Sturrock hopes Paul Mariner's arrival on the Plymouth coaching staff can inspire them to put further distance between themselves and Championship basement club Ipswich.

Mariner was appointed at the weekend as head coach, working under manager Sturrock, and has been on the training ground as the Pilgrims prepare to face Roy Keane's strugglers.

Just one point currently separates the two sides and Sturrock admitted: "It's a big game.

"Paul's coming home and obviously we want to put daylight between us and Ipswich. The only way we can do that is by winning the game."

Sturrock added on the club's official website: "We also want as many people in the mire as possible. We can't wait on other teams falling down. We have to catch them up and the only way we can do that is by winning."