First-team players to feature in county cup

MEMBERS of Danny Cowley’s first-team squad are set to feature as Pompey launch their Hampshire Senior Cup challenge.

The Blues head to

Isthmian South Central side Basingstoke Town tonight (7.45pm) in the second round.

Since returning to the competition in recent times, Pompey have primarily fielded sides constructed entirely of academy players.

However, this season a youthful team will be supplemented by a number of fringe first-team performers.

And Cowley, right, himself will be overseeing the side at Winklebury Way.

He told The News: ‘It’s on a 3G playing surface, so we’ve got to be careful with some.

‘The ones we think we can navigate through safely will play. The ones we don’t think can – or we don’t want to take the risk on – will train.

‘It’s a club game and the Hampshire FA are quite stringent with the rules, which means all players have to be over the age of 16 and you can’t use triallists.

‘Normally this would be an academy game, but we are not in a position to do that at the moment in terms of numbers.

‘We will try to put a squad together, some of the academy and some of the first-team players.

‘I will also be taking it. I don’t think it’s right sending the first-team players and then not going myself.’

Since October 2020, Basingstoke have played at Winklebury rather than their long-standing Camrose home.

They drew 2-2 with Chalfont St Peter on Saturday in front of 298 fans and currently sit third in their division.