PETERSFIELD Town and Havant and Waterlooville will both be hoping their cup form helps them into the quarter finals of the Hampshire Senior Cup when they meet at Love Lane tonight (7.45pm).

The two sides have lost their last three league games in a row but both teams have enjoyed better form in the cup competitions this season.

The Rams will be hoping for the kind of performance which gave them a record breaking run to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup going into this third round local derby clash in the senior cup.

The Hawks meanwhile will be hoping to replicate the form which brought them a decent run in the FA Cup and has kept them in the FA Trophy to negotiate a tricky looking tie for them against Southern League opposition.

For the winners of this cup tie will be a place in the quarter finals and they would be considered one of the favourites to win the county competition, such is the number of higher ranked teams which have already been knocked out.

For Petersfield manager Ian Saunders though, it is a chance to enjoy competing on the same pitch as their illustrious National League South neighbours – and a break from league form which has just seen them lose three Division 1 Central games in seven days.

“To be able to play a competitive game against Havant and Waterlooville at Love Lane is a huge honour for our club,” said the Rams manager.

“They have some top, top players and I’m sure my lads will enjoy going up against them and trying to get the better of them on the night.

“A club like Havant provides a blueprint for us for what we are trying to do at Petersfield both on and off the pitch. They have a superb set up which we would love to emulate here one day.

“The game also gives us some time away from our league schedule. We can put our current poor run of form in Division 1 Central to one side for the night – before we need to go again strongly over the busy Christmas period.

“Hopefully this cup match will give us a chance to emulate what we have already done in the cup competitions this season and help us find some form ahead of some crucial games for us in the weeks ahead.”