Both AFC Portchester and Tavistock will be looking to return to winning ways when they meet this weekend so they can make further progress in the Isuzu FA Trophy.

The two sides go into Saturday’s Second Qualifying Round tie at The OnSite Group Stadium having been struggling for form in recent weeks.

The visitors from Devon have only one win in their last six matches and are currently fourth from bottom in the Pitching In Southern League Division 1 South table thanks to a slow start to the 2025-26 campaign which has seen them lose four of their five league games played to date.

The lone victory in the last half dozen matches played by The Lambs came in the last round of the FA Trophy where they needed a 7-6 penalty shoot-out win to see off Larkhall Athletic.

AFC Portchester meanwhile will be aiming to put a week to forget behind them in this cup tie. The Royals endured back to back defeats in their last two games – exiting the Hampshire Senior Cup on penalties at Baffins Milton Rovers and losing in the league 2-1 at Southall last Saturday.

After enjoying their first free midweek since mid-August, manager Gav Spurway will be hoping the break from action will have re-invigorated his side going into this Trophy tie.

This is Tavistock’s fourth season in the FA Trophy and they have enjoyed some decent runs in the competition already. In 2022-23 – their debut season in the competition – they reached the Second Round stage before losing 2-1 at home to Hungerford Town.

Last season Tavistock reached the First Round before being beaten 4-0 at home by Winchester City.

While the visitors face a 330-mile round trip for this cup tie, it still falls short of the longest distance a team has travelled in a national cup tie involving AFC Portchester.

The Royals’ trip to Truro City in the FA Cup in 2017 still tops that list with a round trip total of 426 miles.