Horndean aim to extend one of the longest losing streaks in non-league football

A three-goal victory over rock bottom Alresford at Five Heads Park on Tuesday will take the Deans above both AFC Stoneham and Bemerton.

Alresford will be aiming to avoid a 25th successive Premier defeat, having failed to pick up a point since winning 2-1 at Shaftesbury in their opening game.

In all, the Magpies have used a staggering 54 players in Wessex action this season in a bid to end their losing run. In contrast, Horndean have used 27, exactly half of Alresford’s total.

The Deans triumphed 3-0 at US Portsmouth at the weekend with first half goals from Tommy Tierney (2) and Zack Willett.

Willett headed the visitors in front - his 35th league and cup goal of 2022/23 - before Tierney completed USP’s 10th home loss of the season (only Alresford, with 11, have lost more among Wessex top flight clubs).

‘You have to create your own atmosphere there,’ said Deans boss Michael Birmingham. ‘It’s hard to get any fluency when it takes 30-45 seconds to get the ball every time it goes out of play.

‘It was a case of making sure we had the right attitude, get the job done and come away unscathed.

‘It’ll be the same against Alresford. Hopefully we can get the job done – you only get the same amount of points from beating the bottom team as you do from beating the top one.’

SEE MORE: US Portsmouth v Horndean picture gallery

USP boss Fraser Quirke said: ‘It was a disappointing first half performance, we just didn’t come out of the blocks. We didn’t perform anywhere near our ability.

‘I told the players at half-time not to lose the second half and they rose to that challenge - that just made the first half more frustrating.’

Deans were without goalkeeper Cameron Scott, who was on holiday, for the first time in a league game this term. In his place was Ellis Grant, who had made his debut as a half-time sub in last Tuesday’s Portsmouth Senior Cup win against former club Moneyfields.

Grant will also be in goal for Alresford’s visit, but Scott comes back into contention for next weekend’s rematch with US Portsmouth.

With Tom Jeffes and Luke Dempsey ruled out, holding midfielder Ethan Robb was again deployed as a centre half alongside Chad Field. Dempsey could return against Alresford.

USP attempt to reach the semi-finals of the Russell Cotes Cup on Tuesday when they entertain Wessex 1 side Millbrook.

Cameron Quirke, Shawn Benjamin and Elliott Holmes are all unlikely to start due to flying to Portugal the following morning for a pre-Inter-Services tournament squad training camp. As a result, the trio will miss next Saturday’s trip to Horndean.

Dan Sibley and Ash Thompson are also unavailable to face Millbrook, so Quirke will dip into the reserve team.

The likes of Owen Scammell - back at USP after a stint at Baffins Milton Rovers - Mason Garvey and Clayton Stafford could all be involved.