BALTI Sports’ boss Marco Nott expects a “tricky” encounter when his side travels to Sturminster Newton in the Dorset League Cup quarter-finals tomorrow (1.30pm).

Sports have not played since December 9 and consequently Nott is unsure what to expect from his players, despite having his squad train on both Tuesdays and Saturdays in light of recent postponements for bad weather.

Nott, whose team beat the Cherries 5-0 at Weymouth College in September, told Echosport: “It’s been a long break but luckily we’ve been training Tuesdays and Saturdays.

“We’re trying to keep busy but it’s difficult. Game time is completely different compared to training. We’re hoping we put in a good performance.

“We played them 5-0 at home and beat them 5-0, but it’s always a difficult fixture when you go up there. It’s a tricky place to go.”

Nott is also hopeful that the long break between games will have worked in Balti’s favour.

He said: “We were disappointed to be knocked out of the last cup. There’s a few teams that have gone out already. We don’t know what to expect from our players, it’s just hoping to get the result we want.

“It can work both ways, we had a break last time and lost four or five games in a row. Maybe the break will have done us good to start the new year fresh and get back on it.”

Balti are expected to be without Andy Nott, Oscar Preece, captain Charlie Kenderdine, Ryan Dovell and Ricky Lane, while Ethan Devaney and Sammy Nichols may also miss out.

But Balti welcome back long-term injury absentees Shane Lock and Ashley Batchelor, together with Josh Haughton, Josh Burton, Ross Jones and Carl McClements.