PORTLAND United manager Brendon King is expecting his side to have to dig in when they travel to Bournemouth Poppies tonight in the Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division (7.45pm).

King admits his side won ugly against Arlesford Town on Saturday in their 1-0 win at the Weyline Stadium and expecting his side to have to do something similar.

King said: “I think the phrase we would probably use for Saturday is that we won ugly.

“Sometimes you have got to do that and I imagine at Bournemouth Poppies we are probably going to have to do something similar, we are probably going to have to dig in.”

King also lamented the weather, and the probable impact it will have on the pitch tonight.

King said: “With the weather we have had I cannot see the pitch being fantastic, so it is not great at the best of times so with this hot weather we have had it is probably going to be quite bobbly and hard.

“We are going to be mindful of the fact we are probably not going to be able to play as much football as we wanted to so we will have to see when we get up there, see what it is like.”

Portland face late tests on the fitness of Jamie Symes (hamstring) and Ed Bastick (knee).

King said: “We will have to be aware and see how they are. We obviously will not risk them if they are not 100 per cent fit.”

Portland will boast the same squad as Saturday, should Symes and Bastick be fit.

Sam and Max Buckler will return to the Blues after missing Saturday’s game as both were unavailable.