PORTLAND United will be looking to improve their cup form when they host Sydenhams Wessex League Division One outfit Verwood Town in the Dorset Senior Cup tonight (7.45pm).

The home tie is the last cup competition that the Blues are still in after falling to Horndean in the FA Vase, Paulton Rovers in the FA Cup preliminary qualifying round and Amesbury Town in the Wessex League Cup.

Portland manager Simon Browne admitted: “We’ve not exactly set the world alight with our cup form.

“It is an opportunity for us in the one cup competition we’re left in and we would love to give a good account of ourselves.”

For Browne the chance to play one of the bigger sides in Dorset football is a big appeal, as he said: “We’ve got an opportunity tonight to see if we can get another win in and get us into the semi-finals, where we could draw one of the big guns which would be nice.

“Wimborne would be nice seeing as it is my old club so it’s a good opportunity for us.”

Portland have had three red cards in their last four games, something that Browne is keen to cut out, as he said: “If we get three red cards in four games it looks like we’re some kind of dirty side but none of them were violent challenges or elbows.

“We need to snap out of that kind of thing because ultimately it’ll end up hurting us.”

In their last match, a 1-1 draw away to Team Solent, Ross Doidge received his marching orders for two yellow cards while Jamie Beasley was missing from the match after picking up two yellow cards in the 2-2 draw against Hamble.

Tonight’s match is an opportunity for the club to arrest their poor midweek form with their last three games seeing losses to Hamworthy United, Horndean and Bournemouth.

Browne said: “For some reason we’ve not been that great in midweek so far this season so it would be nice to get on the pitch tonight and get through to the semi-finals.”

In the previous round, Verwood Town beat Sherborne Town 2-1 while Portland enter the tournament at the quarter-final stage, where they have lost for the past two seasons.

The match is being sponsored by Portland Marina while Russ Levett is sponsoring the man of the match award and Ivan Wellington is sponsoring the match ball.

For the match, Portland are offering reduced ticket prices at Grove Corner with adults able to get in for £5 and children can go along for £3.