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Fraser Quirke believes the Wessex League have been ‘really harsh’ in giving his US Portsmouth side a long midweek trek.

USP aim to avoid a sixth successive Premier Division defeat when they travel to north Dorset to face Shaftesbury on Tuesday.

It is a 128-mile round trip from Portsea Island, with only Portland United (174-mile round trip) a longer one on their Wessex fixture list.

It would normally take anyone driving from Portsmouth to Shaftesbury and back around three hours on a good day.

A Tuesday night in October, with USP having to leave around tea time, is not a good day.

And Quirke is not happy. ‘The league have been really harsh,’ he told The News. ‘They’ve been a bit naive to do that to us.

‘I would like our players to be at the ground for 6.30, but some of them don’t finish work until 5.30.

‘It’s really harsh’ – US Portsmouth boss Quirke unhappy with Wessex League for giving his side a midweek trip to Shaftesbury