Deans are facing striking dilemma
Boss Birmingham has big decision with Duffin absent
Horndean boss Michael Birmingham must decide how to replace the Wessex League Premier Division’s top scorer as his side bid to move five points clear at the top.
Birmingham fears Connor Duffin could miss the rest of the season after suffering a badly broken nose in Saturday’s 4-2 home win over Bashley.
Duffin had earlier scored his 27th league goal in only 24 starts this season before being substituted at halftime.
Horndean have two huge games this week - at Moneyfields tonight and home to title rivals Hamworthy United on Saturday.
Duffin netted twice when Horndean comfortably beat Moneys 3-0 at Five Heads Park in September.
Moneys were below par that night with talisman Steve Hutchings returning from a few weeks out with injury and goalscoring midfielder James Franklyn playing up front as Dec Seiden was injured.
‘That was a good time to play Moneyfields,’ said Birmingham.
‘The King (Hutchings) was only 60 per cent fit and the Lord (Franklyn) couldn’t make his runs from midfield because he was up front.
‘I don’t think it’s a case of Moneyfields being out for revenge (for losing 3-0). You can’t go through life thinking that every time you lose.’
Two former Moneys players - midfielder Ash Howes and defender Jack Lee - come back into contention to face their former club.
Meanwhile, Moneyfields manager Glenn Turnbull has a few problems of his own ahead of the Deans’ visit to Dover Road.
Turnbull did not hold back with his assessment of the display and efforts of his troops in the weekend draw with Portland. And the Moneys manager warned his men they need to quickly up their standards with Horndean followed by a trip to sixth-placed Shaftesbury
on Saturday.
Turnbull said: ‘I need people to start stepping in and really wanting to win a game of football. We've got Horndean Tuesday and Shaftesbury Saturday, so we've got a real easy run now!
'There will ordinarily be changes, that's the way I wanted to run it for the rest of the season, we've got a lot of games, a big squad, so we'll pick a team to go out and do that.’