Manager Glenn Turnbull's slight Moneyfields concern ahead of return to action at Bournemouth following extended 12-day break

Confidence could not have been higher within the squad with an FA Vase win over AFC Portchester and a Wessex League Premier Division victory against US Portsmouth arriving prior to last Saturday's postponed league meeting at bottom-side Hythe & Dibden.

As a result, it means Moneyfields will have gone 12 days without a fixture from when they ran out 4-1 home winners against USP on September 28 ahead of their return to action at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Turnbull believes his side would have been buoyant had the scheduled clash with Hythe gone ahead last weekend, but now he fears some of the momentum might now have been taken from his troops after an extended period between fixtures.

The Moneys manager said: ‘This one (before enforced break), we’d built up a bit of a head of steam, really. Beating Portchy (AFC Portchester) we carried that momentum into US Portsmouth so after those two I set the marker down so we could go into Hythe, go into Bournemouth and after that we could go into Hamworthy and have a real look at ourselves and see where we are. Are we contenders or are we just along for the ride this year and having fun?

‘If we were able to put ourselves in amongst it after that run of four games then maybe we could have a look at that. But that’s been curtailed a little bit, it’s kind of taken the wind out of their sails (enforced break), so it’s important we hit the ground running again on Saturday.’

But Moneyfields are now facing a hectic October with seven games to come in 24 days across three competitions.

Turnbull's men have league trips to Bournemouth, the rearranged Hythe meeting and Alresford while they also host Hamworthy and Hamble in the Wessex Premier this month.

Meanwhile, they entertain Southern League Division One South Lymington Town in the Hampshire Senior Cup on Tuesday and make the trip to face Southern Combination League Premier Littlehampton Town in the FA Vase first round proper on October 23.

And Turnbull has pinpointed a positive start on their return action as pivotal to regaining their momentum.

He said: ‘Once we pick that momentum back up again, we go Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Saturday with an opportunity, probably, on November 2 for a Wessex Cup game to go in so then you’re looking at four weeks of Saturday, Tuesday so then we could do with another 12 days off.’

Both Turnbull himself and striker Dec Seiden have been struggling with illness this week but should make the trip to Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, striker Andy Todd has moved away from the area and will no longer be available for Moneyfields selection.