HAMWORTHY United boss Tim Sills believes his side’s clash with AFC Totton will give a “good indication of where we’re at”.

Stags cross the border into Dorset from Hampshire this evening (kick-off 7.45pm) as the away side in the first ever Southern League game at the County Ground.

Both sides won 2-1 on the opening day of the season, with Hammers winning away at Bideford, whilst Totton beat newly promoted Bishop’s Cleeve by the same scoreline at home.

Totton are heavily fancied for the league title this term, a fact Sills is well aware of.

The former Weymouth and Torquay man told the Daily Echo: “I think it'll go up another level.

“I think if you're looking around at the local scene, probably (Totton) and Wimborne, and to a slightly lesser extent Bashley, they are the ones that have been backed really well over the summer and should be up there as among the title favourites, so it would be a really good test for us.

“This is why we wanted to be at a level above, because we're suddenly playing against teams like Totton who are really geared up for a level and maybe two levels above already.

“They got a really good crowd Saturday as well, so it'd be nice to see a few people through the turnstile as well.

“But this is what we wanted to go up for - these sort of challenges, to really test ourselves and (Totton) would be a good indication of where we're at and where we need to get to.”

Hamworthy’s squad features a mixture of players from all sorts of different football backgrounds, but there is still quite a bit of Southern League experience amongst the newly promoted side’s changing room.

Captain Lee Francis played in the division with Wimborne and Barnstaple, whilst summer signing Sam Griffin, who joined Hammers from AFC Totton, a familiar face for Southern League defenders.

Reflecting on the make up of his squad, Sills mentioned: “Definitely doesn't hold any fear for us in terms of coming into this league.

“Like I say, there's young lads who have been at a good level but are now trying to prove themselves and work the way back up the pyramid.

“There's experience learn to have been at that level so they know what to expect. So, in terms of the blend in the squad and the experience and desire and the hunger, should hold no fear for us.

“We played a few teams last year that were higher up than us and held our own. So we know that as long as we perform right - which we haven't done the first ten minutes Saturday - then we know we'll be all right.

“It’s a great learning curve. Even Saturday was a great learning curve in terms of us having to have a wake up call, that we can't just turn up and it's just going to happen. Which occasionally in the Wessex was the case.”