Hornchurch v Maidstone

MAIDSTONE joint-manager Lloyd Hume admitted a crippling injury list will force the club to field virtual reserve side for tonight's third round Ryman League Cup clash at Hornchurch.

The likes of Ben Lewis, Lee Shearer and Sam Tydeman have been long term casualties, while Nathan Paul looks set for a month on the sidelines after suffering a gash to his shin in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Hastings.

With a busy Christmas schedule looming, Hume said he could not afford to lose any more players.

"It will be virtually a reserve team - right down to the goalkeeper," Hume explained.

"All the people who've been on the bench or around the fringes will be involved.

"We have people like Alex Tiesse who need match practice, so he will get a start.

"The injury list seems to be growing, and we've also had a couple of players who've just come back from muscle strains like Rob Owen and Errison Ahwan who could easily pick up something else.

"Because we've got such a busy Christmas period coming up, we can't afford to take any chances.

"But don't get me wrong - we are still going there wanting to win and make a competitive game."