Portland'S Grove Corner ground stages the most evenly-balanced tie of the round when the Dorset Senior Cup reaches the quarter-final stage tonight, kick-off 7.45pm.

The Blues have an attractive home confrontation with their Jewson Wessex League rivals Wimborne Town and the islanders' boss Nick Preston believes a bookie would be hard-pressed to name a favourite.

"We haven't met them yet in the league this season because our Boxing Day game was called off and although they are a few places above us we have a couple of games in hand," said Preston.

"We're definitely not favourites - but on the other hand playing at home is an advantage to us and we have shown that at our best we can beat anyone in the league."

Preston admitted that Wimborne were the side he most wanted to avoid when the draw for the last eight was made and he knows tonight's clash will be tight.

"They are going well and won away to BAT on Saturday," he said. "But after playing only one of our scheduled last four games we don't have any injury worries."

That gives Preston almost a full-strength squad to chose from, though striker Chris Naylor is

ineligible having played for Dorchester United at an earlier stage of the competition.

"I suppose you could say we will be fresh because of all the recent postponements - but personally I would rather keep playing," he added.

The Blues won 4-1 at Downton in their last game ten days ago. Suspensions deprived them of their experienced midfield duo of Dave Whalley and skipper Nigel Evans for that game and both are expected to return to the starting line-up tonight.

For Whalley it will be a meeting with one of his former clubs - and the re-unions don't end there.

Preston played alongside his Wimborne counterpart Paul Arnold for the Terras and the paths of a number of other players involved in tonight's tie have crossed at Dorchester.

Veteran defender Tony White has linked up again at Cuthbury with former Dorchester boss Arnold and the county town Magpies connection continues with Scott Cannie, Jamie Sturgess and Paul Roast .

Portland: Myers, Dailey, Rodgers, Whyton, Oldrid, C Evans, Mason, Reader, Whalley, N Evans, Cornick, Reeve, Turrell, Hegg.