PETERSFIELD Town manager Ian Saunders will be hoping his side are back in action tonight when they travel to Bashley in the Russell Cotes Cup (7.45pm).

The Rams have not seen any competitive action since their Boxing Day victory at Uxbridge in the Southern League and Saunders is keen to get his troops back out on to the pitch as soon as possible.

With 3G training facilities currently at a premium across south east Hampshire due to the wet weather, Petersfield have struggled to get any training sessions in.

They managed a training match against their reserves at the weekend but nothing beats a proper 90 minutes to keep your team ticking over.

“It’s frustrating for us at the moment,” explained Saunders. “Not only are all of our games being called off but we are struggling to train as well, such is the demand on 3G facilities at the moment.

“We have managed a few sessions at a five-a-side centre and playing on a full pitch for our training match at the weekend certainly will have helped.

“But we just want to get playing again and I am desperate to see this match tonight go ahead.”

The fixtures secretaries will also be desperate to see the game go ahead as they are running out of available dates to slot the match back in.

The next blank midweek slot the Rams have in their schedule is now at the beginning of March, such has been the amount of games postponed over the last month which have had to be rescheduled.

Saunders will also be desperate for his side not to become a rare scalp for the New Forest outfit – Bashley have only won one game this season in all competitions, losing every single one of their 23 league matches so far.

“This is another crucial game for us,” added Saunders. “We do not want to be known as one of two sides who lost to Bashley so far this season.

“It will be a tough game for us – they will be keen to get a win and no doubt they will see our visit as a chance to do this.

“We have got to go there fully focused on the task in hand and make sure we are at the top of our game. I don’t want us to be caught cold by the enforced break we have had and we then come away with the wrong result.”