Patience is a virtue for high-flying Baffins

Baffins Milton Rovers must remain patient once again if they are to overcome Portland in the Wessex League Premier Division tomorrow.

That's the message from manager Shaun Wilkinson, who is anticipating his troops will have to bide their time before finally breaking down the Dorset side's defence.

Baffins were made to wait until approaching the final 10 minutes prior to eventually getting the opener against a strong Christchurch rearguard at the PMC Stadium last time out.

It opened the floodgates, though, as Wilkinson's men eventually went onto secure a 4-0 triumph.

The Baffins boss is expecting a very similar afternoon against a Portland side he anticipates to come and sit in.

But Wilkinson's order of the day for unbeaten Wessex League high-fliers Rovers will be to stay patient and the rewards will come.

He said: ‘We’re just looking for a bit more of the same, really. We’re at home again, we’ll be looking to capitalise on our good result and performance at the weekend. We’ll be looking for the same again, yeah.

‘We’ve just had to be a little bit patient because we are finding teams are coming to us and sitting in.

‘We’ve just got to have that extra bit of patience, maybe play that extra pass, to suck them out and create a few more gaps to get a goal.

‘The thing with us is, when we do score one, you see the confidence flow - a team is going to get a hiding off us in a minute I think.’

Baffins - who caned Portland 8-1 in the corresponding game last season, the club’s highest ever Wessex Premier win - have the joint second meanest defence in the division, conceding just two goals in their opening four matches.

And Wilkinson says keeping it tight in defence provides a platform for his wealth of attacking talent to become match-winners.

He added: ‘It’s the key word is to make sure we’ve got that patience. It’s making sure the back door’s shut, we’re not gung-ho, don’t pile everyone forward at once.

‘First and foremost a clean sheet, defensively we’ve been solid this season, we’ve only let in two goals. Lee Molyneaux and Ed Sanders have been different class, along with Charlie Williamson and our new goalie Konrad (Szymaniak), they’ve been spot on.

‘What they’re doing is giving the forward lads a platform to go and create and score goals.’

George Burgess has this week left Baffins while defender Josh Warren remains sidelined as he still recovers after contracting Covid-19.

Both Rudi Blankson, pictured, and Fuzz Kanjanda (knee) are doubtful to be involved tomorrow.

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