Baffins are faced with crucial run offixtures

Shaun Wilkinson believes Baffins Milton Rovers are facing a crunch week which could determine whether they can class themselves as serious Wessex League Premier Division title challengers.

Fifth-placed Baffins begin a huge eight days in their campaign by welcoming unbeaten Wessex Premier side Hamworthy to the PMC Stadium on Saturday.

High-flying AFC Stoneham - currently sitting in fourth place - make the trip to Portsmouth on Wednesday before Baffins end a run of three home games in the space of eight days by welcoming 13th-placed Alresford next weekend.

Boss Wilkinson, below ,is relishing the chance for his side to inflict a first defeat of the season on Hamworthy this weekend, which he hopes can hand Baffins a massive morale boost to begin a possible 'season-defining' week.

The Baffins boss said: ‘I think it’s a week that can really define our season where we want to go, to be honest.

‘If we come out of the next three game with three positive results then we put ourselves right in the mix.

‘The teams up and around us keep winning. Shaftesbury won in the week, they’re creeping up behind us, Hamworthy won in the league, so there really is no room for error at the top now.

‘If you lose one week teams are going to be gaining on you - it’s that tight up there.’

Fifth-placed Baffins head into a key weekend eight points off leaders Horndean with two games in hand while they could close the gap on third-placed Hamworthy to just two points with victory tomorrow.

Tom Grice is hoping US Portsmouth can use the bounce from reaching the Portsmouth Senior Cup quarter-finals to spring a Wessex League Premier Division surprise at secondplaced Brockehurst

USP set up a last-eight meeting with Southern League side Gosport Borough after running out 4-1 winners in a second round tie with Moneyfields Reserves at Dover Road on Wednesday.

But now they are facing a daunting league trip to Brockenhurst.

Grice said: ‘No-one is expecting us to win this game - I hate the saying because most of the managers have used it this season - but it genuinely is a free-hit.

‘We’ll need to have high tempo and play with a high press.’