DORCHESTER Sports’ boss Ashley James fears another harrowing day at Merley Cobham Sports in their Dorset Premier League contest tomorrow (3pm).

James’ men have endured horrific 8-2, 5-1 and 7-1 scorelines in their past three visits to arguably the league’s most lethal finishers.

Last season, Merley scored 135 goals in 32 games, netting eight goals or more in a match four times and recording an 11-0 win over Swanage Town & Herston.

In their previous match, Dorchester Sports ran ninth-tier Christchurch close with a 4-2 defeat in the FA Vase second qualifying round but James fears a hangover from that clash.

“It’s not a ground we enjoy going to,” he told Echosport. “It’s going to be a very tough game, we could’ve done with a week’s rest. We put a lot of bodies on the line against Christchurch but we’ll go up there and see what happens.

“They’re quite a mixed side, they’re either beatable or they can put 10 past you. It depends what team they’ve got available.

“Their forward line is frightening but we’ll play our own game and hopefully give a better account of ourselves than we have done the last three years.”

Ash Smith (concussion), Alex Stafie (ankle) and Gareth Will (unavailable) all miss out. Jamie Rawlings and Jamie West (both hamstring), Ryan Ross (knee), Dan Peart and Alex Gould (groin) are doubtful.

However, new midfield signing Curtis Hansford will link up with Sports after gaining international clearance from the USA.