BALTI Sports’ manager Marco Nott conceded Hamworthy Rec are a “formidable opponent” ahead of their clash at the Hamworthy Club tomorrow (2pm).

Table toppers Ham Rec have won the past two Dorset Premier League titles, winning each of their past eight games and building a six-point lead over Merley and Dorchester Sports.

Balti lost 6-0 at home to Rec in August and Nott is acutely aware of the quality possessed by Kirk Grice’s promotion-chasing side.

Balti were losing 4-2 at Sherborne Reserves in their past match before a medical emergency forced the game’s abandonment – with Balti 4-0 down at half-time.

He told Echosport: “Ham Rec seem to have been bang in form for the last six years, they’re a formidable opponent.

READ MORE: Explained - why Balti Sports' match at Sherborne was abandoned

“They are by far the top dogs, ever since we’ve been in the DPL for six or seven years. Merley have been competing with them and are up there again this year.

“But it’s a very difficult task we’ve got ahead of us and if we play anything like the first half (at Sherborne) defensively, it will be double figures.

“I just hope the penny’s dropped. We had a massive argument on Saturday at half-time and we got a reaction from it.

“We need to be absolutely 100 per cent at it and on our A-game to get anything out of that game. They’re a classy side and they deserve to go up, they’ve won the league so many times.

“Obviously it depends on league positions between them and Dorch but I think they were a little disappointed to not go up last year.

“It’s their time to go up and it would give everyone else a chance.”

Balti welcome back striker Ricky Lane and right-back Che Curran, while midfielder Sammy Nichols misses out. Carl McClements (toe) is back and Stef Stavrianos (knee) is nearing a return.