Baffins Milton Rovers must make changes as they bid to reach Wessex League Cup final for third time

Jason Parish (blue) in action for Baffins in the 2018/19 Wessex League Cup final against Portland. Parish is unlikely to figure for Rovers in Tuesday's semi-final at Andover Town due to injury.

Picture: Sarah Standing — Jason Parish (blue) in action for Baffins in the 2018/19 Wessex League Cup final against Portland. Parish is unlikely to figure for Rovers in Tuesday's semi-final at Andover Town due to injury. Picture: Sarah Standing

Rovers leapt into the Premier Division’s top six at the weekend with a 2-0 victory at lowly Bournemouth Poppies.

New signing Dec Seiden was handed his first start at Victoria Park, while Tyler Giddings was also in the starting XI.

But both players are cup tied when Baffins travel to lower division Andover Town on Tuesday.

Giddings played just over an hour for Portchester AGAINST Baffins in an earlier round, while Seiden appeared for Moneyfields.

In the absence of injured skipper Jason Parish, teenager Liam Brewer was handed his first Baffins start at Bournemouth - and responded with both goals.

With Parish still likely to be missing, Rovers boss Danny Thompson can either keep Brewer in the XI or recall top scorer Tom Vincent.

Playing in a face mask, Vincent made his return from facial surgery as a second half sub at Poppies.

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Baffins have reached the last four the hard way, winning at both Portchester (1-0) and Stoneham (on penalties) en route.

Andover Town, drawn at home in every round so far, are mid-table in Division 1 but have already dumped out three of Baffins’ Premier rivals.

They defeated Poppies 3-2 and Hamble Club 3-0 before a superb 3-2 quarter-final win over holders Shaftesbury.

Andover lost 3-1 in the league at Ringwood at the weekend, their consolation goal coming from striker Josh Bertie who played against Baffins for Bemerton earlier in the season.

Former Gosport Borough striker David Gerrard has also been among the goals for Town this term.

‘We have to go there and do a professional job,’ stated Thompson. ‘Our attitude has to be spot on. If it is, we will be ok. If we under-estimate Andover, we’ll get beat.

‘We’ve had a tough run and it would be a great achievement for the club to get to the final, but we have to go there with the right attitude.’

Baffins reached the League Cup final in their first season as a Wessex club, in 2016/17. Back then, the Division 1 club lost 2-1 to a Sholing side who had finished third in the top flight.

In 2018/19, Rovers, under Steve Leigh’s management, defeated Portland 1-0 in the final to lift the silverware.

The winners of Tuesday’s tie will face either Fareham Town or Petersfield Town in the final. Graham Rix’s Creeksiders host the lower division Rams at Cams Alders next Tuesday, March 21.