Boss Dave Carter setting sights on another Hampshire Senior Cup semi-final as in-form AFC Portchester target springing Hartley Wintney surprise

The current Royals boss led former club Moneyfields to the last four of the high-profile county cup competition - where they were beaten by AFC Bournemouth under-23s at Dover Road back in October 2020.

Now Carter has the chance to take Portchester to the Hampshire Senior Cup semi-final stage, with a last-eight meeting against two-divisions higher Southern League Premier South Hartley Wintney at The OnSite Group Stadium tomorrow night.

With Pompey, National League outfit Eastleigh and Hartley’s league rivals Farnborough all still remaining in the competition, Carter acknowledged taking the Royals to this stage alone stands as a real 'achievement'.

But on the back of an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions, the Royals boss sees no reason why his men cannot cause a shock by dumping Hartley - who were 3-1 winners on a league trip to Gosport Borough last month - out to reach the semi-finals.

Carter said: ‘We’re playing a team two leagues above ourselves but, if you look at most of our squad, they’ve played Southern League football so they’ve been in and around that league before.

‘Yeah, we’re the underdogs in the game, but we go in full of confidence. They’re not having the best time in their league at the moment, even though they beat Gosport 2-1 the other week, it’s just about going in with confidence and trying to get something out of the game.

‘It’s the quarter-finals of the Hampshire Senior Cup, teams around our level aren’t meant to be there this time of the season, you’ve got the (likes of) Eastleigh, Havant, Pompey and Farnborough (who enter the competition). To get to this stage is an achievement and we’ve got nothing to lose by giving it a go.’

Carter had a brief conversation with Boro boss Gale and some other 'individuals' to get the lowdown on what they'll be coming up against when they welcome Hampshire-based Hartley.