Vital training session for Baffins Milton Rovers ahead of weekend Wessex League Cup final against Petersfield

Drawn away in all four rounds, they have knocked out two of the clubs that finished in the top four of the Premier Division.

A Miles Everett goal gave Rovers a 1-0 victory at AFC Portchester prior to a quarter-final win at AFC Stoneham on penalties.

Keeper Roux Hardcastle was again the hero when Baffins won at lower tier Andover Town on spot-kicks to book their third Wessex Cup final appearance.

Having lost to Sholing in the 2016/17 final, Rovers lifted the silverware two years later after beating Portland 1-0.

Now they face a Petersfield Town side buoyant after winning last weekend’s Division 1 play-off final in Saturday’s final at AFC Portchester (4pm).

Rovers boss Danny Thompson is hoping three players manage to come through tonight’s training session.

Jason Parish, Frankie Paige and Dan Wood all trained on Tuesday but need to complete tonight’s workout to be in with a chance of facing the Rams.

Baffins are without cup tied quartet Tyler Giddings, Dec Seiden, Josh Rose and Arty Kerton, while Dillon North is suspended and Kelvin Robinson unavailable.

North starts a three-game ban after being sent off in Rovers’ final league game, a highly frustrating 1-0 loss at Pagham.

Victory at the Sussex club - who ended up relegated - would have ensured a fifth place finish in Thompson’s first season in charge.

‘It was the story of our season,’ the boss rued. ‘We have chucked away so many points due to ill discipline.

‘If Dillon hadn’t had a moment of madness I’m sure we’d have won that game.

‘It was our seventh sending off and we’ve lost all those games.

‘Apart from Tom Vincent’s red card against Bemerton, which was an absolute farce, I couldn’t complain about any of the others.

‘Kelvin Robinson at Shaftesbury - we were 1-0 up when he was sent off, we lost 3-1; Charlie Oakwell at Hamble, 3-0 up and lost 4-3; Ed Sanders at Horndean, we were well in the game there; Jason Parish against Bemerton, lost 2-1; Tyler Giddings against Moneyfields, lost in the 96th minute.

‘That (ill discipline) has cost us fifth place and it’s something we need to work on for next season.’

As it was, Baffins’ loss at Pagham saw them finish seventh - one place higher than under Shaun Wilkinson in 2021/22, but with three fewer points from two fewer fixtures.

‘If you’d offered me seventh and a cup final at the start of the season I’d have snapped your hand off,’ said Thompson.

‘I guess we’ll be favourites as we’re the Premier side, but they’ve just got promoted into the Premier. They’ve got momentum.

‘They’ve had a fantastic season and they’ve got some dangerous players, but then so have we.

‘If those three (Parish, Paige and Wood) come through training tonight, we’ll be as strong as we can be.’

Thompson is adamant he has put in good foundations for a promotion challenge next season.

In 2023/24 the teams who finish second, third, fourth and fifth will battle it out in the play-offs for a place in the Southern League.

‘I want to progress this club,’ declared Thompson. ‘That’s what I’m here for, I don’t want to be hanging around in the Wessex League for four or five years.

‘I want to progress as quickly as possible.’