BRENDON King believes Portland United will have to be at their “very best” to defeat Alresford Town in Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division action tomorrow (3pm).

The Blues journey to the Magpies hoping to sustain a remarkable run of form that has garnered eight wins from 10 league games, plus the division’s team-of-the-month award.

King’s men are on a 10-game unbeaten sequence in the league and were last beaten in the ninth tier over two months ago in late September when Bournemouth Poppies collected a 6-2 win at the Weyline Stadium.

Second-placed Portland have also closed the gap to runaway leaders Sholing, who dropped points for the first time this campaign in a 1-1 draw at Tadley Calleva on Tuesday night.

Speaking to Echosport, King predicted another challenging contest against Alresford, who occupy eighth.

He said: “It is a difficult game. This sort of period with Christmas parties going on and stuff like that it’s not as if we can say ‘you can’t go’.

“It’s obviously a fair old trip up there as well. They’ve strengthened their side again and got a couple of players back, so it’s going to be another tough one. We’ll have to be at our very best again.”

On the team-of-the-month award, King added: “It’s testament to the players, especially at our level with players’ unavailabilities, injuries and suspensions we haven’t really had a settled team. We’ve had players missing and people playing out of position.

“Also, it’s recognition for everyone involved with the club, all the people who do stuff in behind that nobody sees.

“We and the players get a lot of credit, but an awful lot goes on behind the scenes. We wouldn’t be able to play football if it wasn’t for those people as well.”

Sean Stewart (suspension) and Steven Walker (unavailable) miss out, but Darren Watts and Ross Doidge return. Shaun Bessant, Ed Bastick (both abdomen) and Lewis Clarke (ankle) remain absent.