Baffins Milton Rovers bid for history-making midweek Wessex League victory against Horndean

Jason Parish, centre, has finished his three-game ban and returns to the Baffins squad for Tuesday's Wessex League trip to Horndean. Picture by Paul Collins

Rovers travel to Five Heads Park on Tuesday aiming to end the Deans’ unbeaten home league record in 2022/23.

If they do, it will be a landmark victory - since being promoted to the top flight of the Wessex six years ago, Baffins have a dismal record against their PO postcode rivals.

Horndean have won six of the seven league games played, with Rovers’ only reward a 1-1 home draw in 2018/19.

Baffins boss Danny Thompson said his team selection for the weekend win against rock bottom Alresford was made with ‘one eye’ on the trip to Horndean.

Ed Sanders, Frankie Paige and Joe Johnson - who had all started Rovers’ previous two league fixtures - were on the bench.

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Skipper Jason Parish returns after a three-game suspension, giving Thompson a selection headache.

Kelvin Robinson - who has scored in his last three Wessex games - and Brad Lethbridge were up front in a changed 3-5-2 formation against Alresford.

Dan Aitken, dual signed from Gosport Borough, could also return to the matchday 16 after scoring the reserves at the weekend.

‘The one thing we will do is go there and give it a good go,’ said Thompson. ‘We won’t sit in and try to defend.’

It’s been almost a year since Horndean and Baffins last met in the league. On that occasion, the Deans triumphed 2-0 at Five Heads Park on February 12, 2022.

A tight game was settled with two goals in the last 10 minutes from subs Karol Skoczen and Tommy Tierney.

Of the 14 players used by then Baffins boss Shaun Wilkinson that day, only one - Sanders - remains at the club. Two of them - Rudi Blankson and Tommy Scutt - are now at Horndean.