FOR only the second time this season Steve Riley is hoping his Bashley players can respond positively to the unfamiliar feeling of a league defeat.

Bash suffered their second Southern Premier Division loss of the campaign at Brackley Town on Tuesday night, but have the perfect opportunity to bounce back, with a home game against lowly Tiverton Town tomorrow (3pm).

A last-minute goal in Northamptonshire condemned Riley's side to their first league reverse since August, but the New Forest club will be defending a proud seven-match unbeaten Southern Premier run on home turf.

"It will be tough but we'd like to bounce back," Riley told the Daily Echo.

"Going into Tuesday, we were top of the form guide for the last six games. Tuesday was a bit of a step back but hopefully we'll make a couple of steps forward tomorrow.

"We want to do the best we can and, if we play like we did in the second half on Tuesday and the 90 minutes at Rugby last Saturday, we'll be hard to beat."

Bashley's success has been built on solid defensive foundations, with Riley's troops conceding just 11 goals in 13 outings, which gives them the third meanest record in the division, only bettered by much-fancied pair Team Bath and Kings Lynn.

Although Bash have been inserted as fifth favourites for the title at 14/1, injuries have not helped their cause in recent weeks.

Riley is hopeful winger Justin Keeler could return to the side tomorrow, but he is still without Neil Morant, Matt Parnell, Gary Middleton and Chris Knowles.

On the plus side, experienced forward Dave Town is expected to shrug off the sore heel he picked up at Brackley to take his place in the line up alongside top scorer Richard Gillespie.

Bashley: (from) Elm, Gazzard, Ferrett, Hill, Castle, Keeping, Tarr, Davis, Town, Gillespie, Wakefield, Moss, Keeler, Harper, Burden, Blackmore.