PORTLAND United manager Gary Bailey says his side are going to have to be at their very best if they are to get anything when they host high-flying Blackfield & Langley tonight in the Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division (7.45pm).

The Watersiders are currently second in the table and can go above league leaders Andover Town should they win their games in hand over the league leaders.

Bailey said: “It is a massive challenge, they are right up there and flying, right on the coat tails of Andover.

“We know that we are going to have to be right at our very best if we are going to get anything out of it.

“They had an impressive win at the weekend against Sholing, so we know we are up for a massive test tonight. I need to look for a better performance from my players than we had on Saturday really we were a bit lethargic and scrappy on Saturday.

Portland won 2-0 at the weekend at Newport (IoW) thanks to goals from Lewis Clarke and Ryan McKechnie and currently sit 14th in the table with 46 points.

Last year’s champions have had difficulty in following up their title win and sit 38 points behind their opponents.

Bailey said: “Our motivation is about getting ourselves ready and making sure we do ourselves justice in the game and that is what

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we will do.

“All the pressure is on them, they are in the same position that we were in last year.

Alex Halloran took a blow to the foot on Saturday and Bailey says that there is a question mark over him with regards to Tuesday. Alex Godfrey is getting close to a return and will face a fitness test today but the match may come too soon for him.

Shaun Bessant is suspended for the match and will also miss Thursday’s trip to Hamble Club as he serves a three match suspension after picking up a straight red card in the 0-0 draw with Brockenhurst.

Portland face Blackfield and Langley tonight at the Weyline Stadium (7.45pm).