NEW Milton Town player-boss Darren Curtis insists he has faith in his team as he attempts to guide them to safety amid off-field uncertainty.

Bashley have been in negotiation with the Linnets over relocating to Fawcett’s Field with the club potentially being renamed Bashley New Milton.

The plan is for the new outfit to retain Bashley’s current standing in the Southern Premier with New Milton dropping out of the Wessex League.

The name change is dependent on Football Association approval and the necessary ground improvements at Fawcett’s Field remain subject to planning permission from New Forest District Council.

And although the deadline for Milton to resign from the Wessex without penalty is on Sunday, Curtis confirmed he had yet to be made aware of any decision.

Experienced centre-half Curtis was speaking after a 4-1 loss at Totton & Eling on Wednesday, together with a midweek win for rivals Romsey, had seen Linnets drop to the foot of the Premier Division table.

But Curtis, whose team host Bournemouth Poppies tomorrow (3pm) before entertaining Lymington Town on Monday (11am), believes his men can defy the odds to beat the drop.

He told the Daily Echo: “If we can get a positive result tomorrow, it would set us up nicely for the Lymington game. I am still positive.

“I am still confident and I believe in my team.”

Curtis added: “We have got games in hand and I keep saying to the players to just think about what we are doing.

“We can’t control other teams’ results and need to worry about our own results. You can’t waste time worrying about other teams.”

Elsewhere in the Wessex Premier tomorrow, Hamworthy United visit GE Hamble, Christchurch travel to Moneyfields and Verwood Town make the trip to Lymington.

Verwood will be aiming to maintain the form they showed when hammering Hayling United 5-0 on Wednesday.

The Potters cruised to victory as striker Mike Haskell fired a hat-trick, having hit a treble against Alton earlier this month.

Ryan Long was also on target for Adie Arnold’s men as he bagged a brace.