David Birmingham is working double time to keep his dream of making the grade alive.

The Bognor wideman played 90 minutes for Bournemouth Reserves against Fulham on Wednesday afternoon.

He then rushed to Lancing and completed another full game as Rocks beat Horsham YMCA 5-2 in the Senior Cup semi-final.

Birmingham was released by Portsmouth this season and saw a trial with Albion come to nothing. He is now enjoying a second spell with the Cherries under the guidance of Sean O'Driscoll, his mentor when he was a youth teamer at Dean Court.

Birmingham said: "I'm really enjoying it. Brighton said they hadn't got the money and the manager told me I would have to look after myself.

"Then Bournemouth phoned me up and said come down here.

"They are paying me each month, which I'm happy about, and I'm on a non-contract basis, so I can play for Bognor as well.

"We will see what comes at the end of the season."

Birmingham has come through three reserve games without any repeat of the injury problems which twice curtailed trials with the Seagulls.

He added: "That was just the Brighton curse. Every time I played for them I got injured.

"It's great to get into a cup final with Bognor. The team is playing really well."

Not that Birmingham's feats at Culver Road counted for much when he returned to work on Thursday morning.

He admitted: "The lads there will probably laugh when I tell them about this."