Burton’s men in drop-zone crunch

8:15am Friday 8th February 2008

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DORCHESTER face a relegation battle tomorrow when they travel to fellow strugglers and bogey side Sherborne in Southern Counties South (2.30pm).

Coach Chris Burton admits it is a game the county town outfit, who sit two points below tomorrow's opponents, cannot afford to lose.

He said: "It's a big game for us and one that we need to win, if not then we will be in big trouble. Sherborne always seem to pull it out of the bag against us and they seem to be our bogey team.

"Hopefully though, the lads will put in the kind of performance that I know they can and get the right mental approach.

"Games are starting to run out and this one on Saturday is one that we have targeted, it's important that when the match arrives our players don't freeze like rabbits caught in headlights."

Other than long-term absentees Daffyd Wright and George Damen, Burton has no fresh injury concerns for the proverbial four-pointer'.

Weymouth will also be desperate for victory against Warminster at Mon-mouth Avenue tomorrow, but for different reasons (2.30pm).

The Seasiders remain in the hunt for a third-placed finish in Dorset & Wilts One South but face competition from four other sides. Captain Tony Worle is focused ahead of the encounter.

He said: "We are expecting to win the game given that we beat them convincingly at their place 40-10 and the fact that Warminster aren't the best on the road.

"Third place is the target for us so we are expecting a good display on Satur-day. It's extremely tight in the race to finish third so we need to put a consistent run of results together to achieve that finish."

With a number of unavailabilities expected for next week's clash with league leaders Swanage & Wareham II, Worle will use tomorrow's clash as a window of opportunity for the likes of Adam Poole and James Hughes to stake a claim for a permanent spot in the first XV.

Two points for Puddletown tomorrow at basement boys Blandford will keep them in contention for that same third place finish in Dorset & Wilts One South (2.30pm).

The Villagers are six points behind Frome II who currently occupy the sought after position, but with a game in hand, and face a side who have won just once in the league all season.

Bridport are also vying for third place in Dorset & Wilts One South but host unbeaten leaders Swanage & Wareham II tomorrow at the Brewery Ground (2.30pm).

Elsewhere, in South West Two East, Swanage & Wareham welcome lowly Henley Wanderers to Bestwall tomorrow (2.30pm).