‘Buzzing’ Baffins Milton Rovers to ring the changes for Portsmouth Senior Cup tie with Petersfield

But he insists he is taking both the PMC Stadium fixture with his former club and the tournament seriously.

‘I’ll probably make around eight changes but we’ll still be strong,’ he stated. ‘This is a competition we’ll be looking to go as far in as we can.’

Baffins enter the tie on the back of three successive wins - the latest a 3-0 success at Alresford in their first away Wessex League Premier fixture of the season at the weekend.

Three strikers netted: goals inside the opening half-hour from Alpay Ali and Tom Vincent put Rovers in control, with sub Kelvin Robinson adding a third in the second half.

Vincent now has seven league and cup goals in 2022/23, while Ali has netted six and Robinson five.

‘It was probably our most complete 90-minute performance of the season,’ declared the manager. ‘It was a proper professional away display.

‘The scoreline wasn’t a true reflection of the game. If we’d won 7-0 they could not have complained.’

The subs at Arlebury Park - Robinson, Harvey Wellham, Frankie Paige, Owen Sims and Miles Everett - could all start against Petersfield.

In addition, Ed Sanders, Joe Johnson and Owen Scammell will be recalled to the squad.

All three featured for Steve Ledger’s reserves in a 6-0 Hampshire Combination League win at Millbrook at the weekend.

It was the reserves’ second 6-0 league win in eight days, after previously hammering East Division leaders Fleetlands.

‘The club’s buzzing at the moment,’ said Thompson. ‘Steve Ledger’s freshened up the reserves and they have players knocking on my door.

‘We’re in a really healthy position at the moment. We (the first team) seem to have settled down and there’s a good feeling.’

Midfielder Charlie Oakwell is available to face Petersfield, but not so when Rovers face Brockenhurst in the league on Saturday.

Petersfield – the club who Thompson helped win the Wessex Premier in 2014/15 – will be aiming to avoid a fifth successive defeat.

They have already tumbled out of two cups in the past week – losing 3-1 at home to Sholing in the Hampshire Senior Cup and 2-0 at Bridport in the FA Vase.