YOUTH coach Jimmie Guymon believes there is only one to cure for Solent Stars current ills - hard work.

With the mighty Brighton Bears due on court at Fleming Park tomorrow, Stars must fear a hiding as their experiment with an all-English side has backfired badly with five straight defeats in the National Trophy.

And according to well-respected American Guymon, who was with Stars during their glory days of the 1980s, the only way to iron out their problems is to heed the old saying that practice makes perfect.

He stressed: "The team only trains twice a week and that is not enough for the players to mould.

"The players need to buy into the idea that the only way they will get good results is to play as a team and that needs them to train together more often."

Ex-Brighton Bear Mark Jackson and former Thames Valley Tiger David Butterworth have both benefited from playing and training with a Basketball League club, but they have struggled to express themselves in a young Stars side crying out for a dominant and experienced presence on court.

The club are still negotiating to bring in 25-year-old American Dominique Jones, but it is unlikely his work permit will be granted in time for this weekend's double header, which starts with tonight's National Trophy test against North West London at Willesden Sports Centre (6pm).

Jones boasts impressive credentials as the third all-time leading scorer from Ohio University-Eastern, having notched up 1,763 points during his three seasons there.

While they await his arrival, Solent will make the most of what they've got available with director Jim Rumsey promising: "The coaching staff are working hard with all the players in preparation for the beginning of the National Conference League season in November."

Tomorrow's National Cup match gives Solent a rare opportunity to see one of the strongly-fancied Basketball League teams.

Given that England's elite are allowed five Americans for their matches, as opposed to just two in the Conference, it will be the sternest of tests for Mark Scott's young Stars.

With Nick Nurse trebling up as head coach, general manager and sole owner of the Brighton club, Bears have assembled a formidable line-up of US talent including Texan guard and skipper Randy Duck, giant 6ft 9in forward Wilbur Johnson from Philadelphia and new signing Rico Anderson from Tennessee.

Sterling Davis, a 6ft 7in forward from Duncanville, Texas, weighed in with 25 points as the Bears opened their BBL season with an 88-63 crushing of Thames Valley Tigers last week.

The match will bring back memories for Solent's co-owner Alan Cunningham who was player-coach of the Bears from 1992-95 and led them to five major honours. He still leads Bears' all-time statistics list in blocks with 176 to his name.