Kiteley eyes Senior Cup progress

The Blues go into the game aiming to defend their unbeaten run of 10 competitive games, and 100 per cent record at home, against a side who have yet to win away.

With Saturday's 3-0 Dorset Premier League Cup victory at Poole Borough fresh in their minds Portland manager Dave Kiteley is hopeful his side's good run of form can continue tonight.

He said: "We've gone 10 games unbeaten now and hopefully we can keep it going. The Senior Cup is a straight knockout competition so it will be a completely different prospect to Saturday's game.

"It's a competition we would like to go far in and hopefully test ourselves against a bigger team like we did last year in the quarter-finals against Poole Town.

"With no disrespect to Sturminster we have beaten them already this season and they do concede a lot of goals because they like to play an open game, hopefully we can capitalise on that."

Kiteley is expected to name the same squad who beat Borough to record their eighth consecutive win.

He added: "Everybody came through Saturday's game so we have no injury worries. There are one or two knocking at the door though, given the reserves won 6-0 at the weekend, but I will most probably name an identical squad.

"Matt White has given me something to think about after scoring and looking sharp when he came off the bench on Saturday."

The islanders' only defeat of the season remains their opening day loss at Hamworthy United Reserves, and despite a comfortable victory at Poole last time out the Blues' boss wants to see an improvement from his players.

He said: "We have got to have the right mindset about us. That was lacking somewhat on Saturday, maybe because we knew they didn't have their strongest side out, but we need to treat every game the same and prepare in the right way."

Blues (from): Gadsby, Percy, Cranny, Clarke, Perkins, Walker, Litherland, Carmichael, Doidge, Lamb, Halloran, Ross-Jennins, Whyton, Linaker, White.