BRIDPORT may be without midfield hard man Richard Middleton for tomorrow's Les Phillips Cup first-round match at Brislington.

"He's a real doubt for tomorrow," said the Bees' physio Dave Harris. "He has an injury to his left knee which he damaged warming up at Welton Rovers two weeks ago and he is now nursing a knock on his left ankle which he picked up at Shaftesbury on Tuesday night.

"It does not look good but, having said that, he is the sort of lad who will be there at Brislington."

The Bees will be travelling a well-trodden path when they go to the Bristol suburbs on cup duty. It will be the third season running they have been drawn to play at Ironmould Lane in the Les Phillips Cup. Two years ago they were beaten there 4-1 in a second-round tie, but had an excellent 2-0 win in January on their way to the quarter-finals.

But Bridport will not want to be reminded of their last visit to Brislington eight weeks ago when they travelled with only 12 players and lost a Screwfix Direct Premier Division fixture 4-1 after having skipper Lee Pashen sent off.

Wing back Dan Taylor is expected to return to a Bridport side enjoying its best spell of the season.

Harris said: "Simon Gale is on a roll with his goal scoring and we are quite confident. The feeling in the dressing room after the game on Tuesday was pretty good. That is three games unbeaten now."

Bridport (from): Peters; Pashen, Gardner, Copeland, Cadman, Taylor, J Gisborne, Middleton, White, S Gale, Hitchcock, T John, Walkey, A N Other.

n Bridport Reserves' manager Mike Thompson has the luxury of naming two goalkeepers for his side's Dorset Combination League visit to Weymouth Sports.

Lee Cuff, who has recently joined the Bees from Sherborne Town, is included although, with only 13 players listed, he may well be given an outfield role.

Bridport Reserves (from): Ryland, Cuff, Hoare, P Gisborne, S Smith, Watson, Donovan, Whitfield, D John, Fallows, Lock, Richards, Hewlett. Meet St Mary's Field, 12.45pm.