PORTLAND UNITED v PARLEY SPORTS

GARY Bailey is confident that his team will be able to put the disappointment of a cup final defeat behind them when they return to league action this weekend.

The Blues know they cannot afford to dwell on Wednesday night’s shoot-out agony against Hamworthy Recreation with a key Dorset Premier League clash coming up.

They meet Parley Sports at Grove Corner tomorrow (3pm) with the championship trophy close to being theirs again.

Portland could well clinch the title in front of their own sup-porters if Merley Cobham Sports and Hamworthy Rec slip up at Tintinhull and Swanage Town & Herston respectively.

A defiant Bailey said: “Tomor-row is a perfect chance for us to bounce back from Wednes- day and the players know they’ve got to put that behind them.

“You always want to win cups when you get to the final but the league has always been our number one priority.

“We’ve got the ultimate prize to play for and we’ve got three games left to win it.

“We have got an honest bunch of lads who know how to win the league because they’ve done it be- fore.

“I have full confidence in them that they will get the job done, whether that’s tomorrow or in the last two games.”

Ross Doidge is unavailable for the match and Lewis Clarke is highly unlikely to feature due to injury.

The sides have met twice this season, both times at Parley, with the league encounter finishing in a 1-1 draw and the Blues winning 5-3 in the Dorset Senior Cup a few weeks later.

“We are at home this weekend but Parley are on a good run at the moment,” added the Blues’ boss.

“We are expecting a tough test and they come to us with no pressure on them, but, if we win, we are pretty much over the line.”

Parley have won their last four and lie 11th in the table, while Portland are second, two points behind Weymouth Reserves.

Meanwhile, Chickerell United go to bottom side Okeford United in the Dorset Senior League (3pm).