Mammoth double bid for Portland (From Dorset Echo)

Mammoth double bid for Portland

8:00am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Sport By Adam Summers

FIFTEEN games in just 60 days is the challenge that lies ahead of Portland United as they continue their quest for a league and cup double.

A place in the final of the Dorset Premier League Cup has already been booked but in the league the Blues still have a lot of work to do.

The islanders currently sit just four points off the top with three games in hand but with Wincanton Town breathing down their necks and a packed fixture list ahead of them, it is clearly going to take a huge effort to claim the title.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s trip to Swanage Town & Herston (7.45pm), Port-land boss Chris Wilson told Echosport: “At the start of the season we knew we would need 20 players to have a decent crack at it, and there is no doubt we are going to have to call on every single one of them in the weeks ahead.

“When we went from the start of December to the end of January having hardly played a game due to postponements we always knew it would lead to a fixture pile up but everyone is in the same boat and we just have to get on with it.

“It is all about results now, as it always is. Every manager wants their side to play good football but now I couldn’t care less about how we do it, as long as we keep picking up the points.”

Portland suffered a shock 3-2 defeat at Parley Sports last time out and Wilson is expecting another tricky clash this evening.

He added: “It will be tough there is no doubt about that.

“Swanage are a decent side, particularly on their own patch, but as always we will just be concentrating on our own game.

“Chris Reader, Ross Carmichael, Mitch Conning, Ryan McKechnie and Joe Toghill are all unavailable and Jimmy Dailey is still out injured, but like I said, we have the squad to cope with that and hopefully we can go there tonight and put in a big performance.”

As well as a daunting fixture list, clubs are also being forced to face much heavier conditions than they are normally used to – a test the Blues will have to pass in order to be successful.

Wilson continued: “Some of the pitches have been really heavy of late and it can be a real leveller.

“However, once again it is the same for both teams and you just have to deal with that.

“We have got some really good footballers in our side that like to get it down and play but sometimes you have to adapt your game to the conditions in order to get the desired result.”

The Swans currently sit fourth-bottom but they have won three out of their last four games.