PAT McManus hopes to have a full-strength Brockenhurst squad available for tomorrow’s Sydenhams Premier revenge mission at leaders Whitchurch.

If he does get a decent turnout, the sixth-placed Badgers will have a fighting chance of avenging a last-gasp 1-0 defeat to the Jam Boys at Grigg Lane two weeks ago.

But if there is any repeat of the drop-outs that contributed to last Saturday’s 7-1 hiding at Winchester City, Brock run a high risk of returning to the New Forest empty-handed.

With a squad of 18 and no reserve team at his disposal, manager McManus is in the difficult position of asking for commitment from his players for no financial reward.

And what concerned him about the Winchester game was that Brock turned up with just 11 fit players – plus Tom Hill who was nursing a groin problem – and yet only Hill and goalkeeper Sam Cousins were on the injury list.

“Against Winchester we had half our midfield playing in defence and strikers playing in midfield.

“With so many players playing out of position, there’s no chance to put things right.

“The frustrating thing is that the only people injured at the club right now are Tom Hill and Sam Cousins, so none of the absentees was down to injury.

“But, once again, it comes down to resources. If players are losing money by playing football, it’s easy to drop it for something else. We had a couple drop out ill last week and a couple on pre-arranged excursions.

“There’s nothing we can do to stop that other than to ask people to be as committed as we are.

“But there can always be something more appealing for them to do – especially on a day like last Saturday when it was hammering down.”

With dual-signed goalkeeper Rory Anderson due to play for his parent club Sholing in the FA Trophy, Brock had hoped the Boatmen’s experienced stopper Lee Webber would don the gloves at Whitchurch.

But Webber will be out of action for at least a fortnight having required 12 stitches to a deep cut to the thigh sustained while playing for Sholing against Tiverton last week. “We’ve got a race against time to get Sam Cousins back,” said McManus. “Hopefully he’ll be fit.”

Whitchurch – four points clear at the summit - boast a near impeccable home league record having won seven and drawn one of their eight Longmeadow games this term.