Pike: Tiverton match is a free hit for Gosport

Alex Pike is desperately searching for some light at the end of the tunnel in the shape of much-needed points.

Borough are yet to pick up a point or score a goal since Pike was reinstated as manager four games ago.

They remain bottom of the league, two points adrift of Dunstable Town, but with two games in hand.

Pike is hoping Borough can lift themselves off the bottom and spark a revival by beating the west country visitors (3pm).

Though fifth in the league, Tiverton have lost four of their previous five games.

Pike is in negotiations to bring in at least two new faces before the game but with negotiations ongoing he isn’t prepared to identify his targets.

He put in a seven-day notice for Joe Noakes at AFC Portchester but the combative midfield player has decided to stay with the Wessex League premier division club.

Pike believes once he gets reinforcements on board it will spark a turnaround in fortunes.

‘I have been working all week at getting new players in,’ said the Borough boss.

‘That was something that was impossible to do over the Christmas period with clubs looking to keep their players to guard against injuries.

‘Now more players are becoming available, particularly for loan deals.

‘Once I get a couple of players in hopefully it will act as a domino effect for getting others in. That should give us the competition for places we need.

‘Our next two games are against teams pushing for promotion so they are free hits for us.

‘No-one expects us to get anything from them.’

There is some confusion over the status of Nathan Walker who was announced as a new signing just after Christmas.

Walker made his debut against Weymouth on New Year’s Day but since then has gone back to Hamworthy United.

Instead of making the trip to Royston Town with Borough he captained the Dorset side in their 1-0 win against Sholing.

Hamworthy insist Walker remains their player and will only be available for Borough when they don’t need him.

‘I didn’t get involved in the deal so I don’t know what is happening,’ added the Gosport manager.

‘All I know is he isn’t available again this weekend.’

Pike hopes to have recent recruit Ollie Cherrett back while striker Joel Jackson is also set to make his home debut.

The Borough boss added: ‘One area where we are improving is in the fitness levels,’ said Pike.

‘It is one area that shocked me when I came back to the club.

‘It is not going to be an overnight fix but I am hopeful that in the next fortnight there will be a marked improvement in performances and results.’

Gosport Borough: Price, Breed, Watts, Lis, Wakely, Medway, Jackson, Smith, Mason, Davis, Suraci, Cherrett, Walters, Watch, Paige, Stone, Whiteley