The key for Gosport Borough as they prepare for big meetings with Metropolitan Police and Farnborough

Boro first host seventh-placed Metropolitan Police at Privett Park on Saturday before travelling to Farnborough, currently third in the table, just four days later.

Gale's men have made a blistering start in the league this season, soaring up to second - level on points with leaders Hayes & Yeading having played a game more - with seven wins and just one defeat in their opening nine matches.

What's more, Boro warmed up for their Met Police meeting with a crushing 11-1 Portsmouth Senior Cup first round triumph over 10-man Hampshire Premier League Senior Division Paulsgrove last night.

But Gale says the challenge will be a lot different against Met Police and he admitted his men will once again have to pull out their best performance to come out on top.

The Boro boss looked ahead: ‘Met Police will be tough - they’re all tough games - we went to Dorchester and that was a tough game but we came out the right side of it, put in a good performance, and were comfortable.

‘They’re a good side Met Police, they’ve had a good start to the season, they don’t concede a lot of goals. We’re in for a tough afternoon, we’ll have to be at or best, I say the same every week.

‘The team that goes out on the park, we need 11 men fighting for that win, then playing the football we know we can play and the ability we’ve got in the side to unlock teams and score some good goals.

‘We’ve got to be at our best every week, it’s what we strive for, standards at this football club we want to keep high and we keep keeping them high and it’ll be no different Saturday.’

Gale fielded a strong side in the thumping cup win over Paulsgrove - despite making eight changes from the side who grabbed a league win at Dorchester last weekend.

Striker Nick Dembele netted four times on his return to the side, Bradley Tarbuck - recently returning from a groin injury - struck a quickfire first-half double in the cup trouncing after striking at Dorchester last time out.

Boss Gale was also impressed with the performance of midfielder Jake Wright and he says he now has some decisions to make to select a starting XI to face Met Police.

He said: ‘It gives me food for thought for the weekend (players who performed in Paulsgrove cup win).

‘The lads did well last weekend, Nick (Dembele) has done well, I thought it was time for him to come out the team because we changed the shape slightly, again he’s done well and scored four goals. He needs to do more in the team, it’s not just about scoring goals, he knows that.

‘There were some good performances (against Paulsgrove) Jake Wright scored a really good goal, Ryan Hughes came in at 18 years old at right-back.’

Boro are likely to be without Theo Lewis, who was forced off with a hamstring injury early in the second half against Paulsgrove.

Club captain Mike Carter (knee), Harry Kavanagh (collarbone) and striker Matt Paterson (knee) all remain out with longer term issues.