PORTLAND United manager Franklyn Clarke has revealed the Blues have been putting in the hard hours in preparation for their FA Vase first round tie at Cribbs tomorrow (3pm).

Cribbs are unbeaten and top of the Hellenic League this season but Portland have suffered just one defeat in their past seven matches.

Some £825 is on offer to the winners, with £250 going to the losers.

Portland may go into the clash as underdogs but Clarke has quiet optimism about the tie and trusts in his processes.

He told Echosport: “They’re obviously going really well but the focus for us is to focus on what we’re good at and those things that made us go on that run of six unbeaten games.

READ MORE: Brockenhurst 4-0 Portland United - match report

“We have done a bit of homework on them to see if we can nullify what they’ll try and do to hurt us.

“The main focus is the processes that we can take into the game and how we can go about it.”

Portland did lose 4-0 at Brockenhurst last time out but Clarke shrugged off the defeat.

“It was just one of those games,” he said. “We got a bit complacent, which is easy to do when you’re doing well.

“That’s the professionalism that is needed. Concentration levels have to be even higher and the first 45 minutes that wasn’t there.

“We allowed the game to be taken out of our hands in the first 45 minutes. Second half we were much better but didn’t look like scoring.

“All it was Saturday was just a poor 45 minutes.”

Talking up the pressure on Cribbs, Clarke added: “It’s a nice challenge for us and it makes it an even bigger win if we do go there and win.

“They are going so well. There’s a lot of distance between the teams. They don’t know a lot about us. It makes for a really good game.”

Portland are set to welcome back Brin Doyle but Joel Hewitt and Brad Smith remain out.