Catlin aiming to ensure AFC Portchester don’t slip up in FA Vase banana skin tie against Bemerton

Justin Bennett, left, has scored four goals already this season against Wessex Premier sides in cup ties. Picture: Paul Jacobs

The visitors showed their quality by beating Wessex Premier side Horndean in the FA Cup.

They also handed out a 6-1 thrashing to Premier outfit Shaftesbury in their midweek League Cup tie.

Striker Justin Bennett - a player Catlin knows well from his time as Alex Pike’s assistant at Gosport Borough - scored two goals in each of those two cup wins.

That was after the Privett Park legend belted 47 goals in all competitions in his debut season for the Salisbury-based club in 2019/20.

Catlin has no illusions about the difficulty of the task the Royals face as they set out on a road which leads to a Wembley showpiece final.

His side have lost their last three games - in three different competitions - and are looking for a confidence-boosting success and a £550 cheque from the tournament prize fund.

Portchester went out of the FA Cup at Wimborne Town and then exited the Wessex League Cup against Horndean in midweek.

Catlin is looking for an improvement against a Bemerton side who only lost 1-0 to two divisions higher Sholing in the FA Cup preliminary round last weekend.

'We know Bemerton are going to be a threat,' he remarked.

'Obviously we know all about Justin Bennett and it is a tie we shall be taking very seriously.

'To get through we will have to be on the top of our game, and that is something we have not been the last few games.

' I don't think a lot can be read into our League Cup defeat in midweek.

'Both teams made changes and it was just the result I was disappointed in.

'We blooded a lot of youngsters and got a lot from the game, but individual errors cost us in the end.

'This game will be something totally different and one we need to win coming off the back of three defeats.

'I am looking for a positive reaction from the players and our big players need to stand up and be counted.

'We started well in our first two games but have lacked consistency.'

Josh Hanratty returns to the squad after serving his mandatory three-week concussion period.

Craig Hardy is also back after missing midweek with a calf strain, but Ellis Martin is sidelined with a recurrence of an ankle injury.