JUST one Hampshire club remains standing in the Powergen Intermediate Cup but they face an uphill battle just to put out a side this weekend.

Gosport & Fareham, the 2002 finalists, have a staggering 13 first team squad players either unavailable or injured and they dare not even list a squad ahead of their home tie with Effingham & Leatherhead.

There are problems across the park and in the back row especially with Mark Pollard and Chris Thompson definite absentees through Navy commitments.

Others, including Paul Maxwell, pictured left, James Wagstaffe and Andy Vance are likely to be missing and the list does not include those on long-term injury leave like Richard Lloyd, Harry Harrison, Fred Dugan or coach Sean Fanning.

There is also a feeling that some Colts players, involved in a crunch Youth League game against rivals Portsmouth on Sunday, will not be chanced either.

It is a huge problem but, with Gosport's record in this competition - they have never been beaten by a side from a league level below them - they go into the game confident.

Skipper Simon Burns is still looking forward to the match and wants the memory of their 2002 cup run to pull them through. "We would like to get another cup run under our belts because it always generates excitement in a season, especially when you end up at Twickenham," he said.