Why table-toppers Horndean will once again be without manager Michael Birmingham as they head to high-flying Alton

Birmingham is in isolation until later this week having tested positive for coronavirus.

He missed the Deans’ thumping 5-0 win at Amesbury, with assistant manager Jason Mann and experienced member of the club coaching staff, Mick Catlin, overseeing things on the day.

The win kept Horndean three points clear at the summit and the pair will once again be placed in charge for the trip to seventh-placed Alton.

Birmingham knows there is little he can do apart from hope for the best as he follows proceedings through the club's Twitter feed on Tuesday.

And he has told his troops to expect a very tricky evening when they travel to Alton.

Birmingham said: ‘They’re a very, very good side at home Alton. They’ve got a good, young, raw manager who has got a good, honest, hard-working side.

‘We’ve played them already at our place, we beat them 4-1, but by all means it wasn’t a 4-1 reflection.

‘They went 1-0 up, they were very well-drilled, they had good energy levels and it took us a while to work them out and get into the game.

‘We’ll go there, again, confident but we also now Alton Town - they’re seventh at the moment.

‘They’ve got a lot of local boys who want to play there for the right reasons for the club and for the manager.’

Horndean have netted a magnificent 96 goals in 25 games in all competitions and could reach a century should they hit four or more at Alton.

They have a wealth of attackers available to them at the moment with leading scorer Connor Duffin (26 goals) and 22-goal Zack Willett sharing 50 goals between them already this season.

Alfie Lis is now back from injury while the Deans have also move to bring in striker Tallan Burns while he studies at Portsmouth University.