PORTLAND United boss Brendon King is relishing locking horns with rivals Horndean in their Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division clash tomorrow (3pm).

The Blues make the journey to Five Heads Park for the latest instalment of a competitive rivalry between the sides – without animosity.

Going into the clash, just a point and a position separates King’s men in seventh from tomorrow’s hosts.

Both Portland and Horndean have been challenging for honours at the top of the league in recent seasons, and King is all too aware of the Deans’ quality.

He told Echosport: “They’re a tough old team to play against. They’re a good side and have some good players.

“We get on well their manager (Michael Birmingham), we have quite good craic with him and the games are quite intense, quite close.

“Normally when you’ve got two full sides out they’re quite close affairs. Come the end of the season they’re going to be up near the top, for sure.”

Portland are facing a selection headache ahead of the game, with a number of absentees.

Luke King serves the second of a three-game ban, while Shaun Bessant and Sean Stewart serve one-game suspensions for collecting five bookings.

Crit Clarke, who was due to return from a ban, is not fit after being hospitalised with pneumonia.

King said: “It’s not ideal, we’re going to be very, very patched up.”