Garry Wilson admits Eastbourne Borough will have to overcome the odds to prevent Lewes winning the title this season.

Borough can cut Lewes' lead at the top of the table to three points with two games in hand if they beat the Rooks at a packed Priory Lane today (Tuesday).

They have gone 20 league games without defeat this season to emerge as Lewes' main rivals and fought back from two goals down at the Dripping Pan on Boxing Day to salvage a point.

But Wilson fears maintaining their challenge will be difficult in the second half of the season after being told there are no funds to strengthen his squad.

Wilson said: "I still think Lewes will win the league. If you look at the squad they have got they must be favourites.

"We have done very well up to now but it is a bit like a mid-table team in the Premiership taking on the likes of Chelsea or Manchester United for the title.

"They are able to go and get Conference standard players with lots of experience while we rely on a lot of players taken from the County League.

"Don't get me wrong, we have got some good players and there is a nice blend of local players and those with a bit of experience at a higher level but if I was able to bring in the type of players Lewes can I would like to think I could win the league.

"Our ambitions are different to Lewes though. We never set out to win the league, our aim was to make the play-offs and we are on course for that at the moment.

"But our squad is not the biggest and we might struggle if we pick up a few injuries or suspensions.

"I would certainly have liked to bring one or two new faces in but that is not the strategy the club has decided to take."

Meanwhile, Lewes boss Steven King has warned supporters not to put too much emphasis on the result of today's showdown.

King is aware fans of both clubs will start talking about the title should they triumph at Priory Lane.

The Rooks could go nine points clear at the top if they win but King is urging caution.

He said: "This is just another game, a big game I admit, but just another game.

"Even if we win and go nine points clear it still doesn't decide the league because we could lose the next game and be back to square one.

"If we were 15 points clear and won, then we would have one eye on the title but we aren't."

King is happier to look at the bigger picture of where his side are at the start of 2008.

They reached the 50-point mark for the season with a 4-0 drubbing of Havant on Saturday and in doing so notched up their 15th league win of the campaign, which is the same as they managed for the whole of last season.

At this stage last year the Rooks had 28 points from the same number of games so King is delighted with the progress his side have made.

He said: "I think it is down to consistency and consistency of wins. We drew 17 games last year which, put another way, is 34 points dropped.

"To reach the same number of wins as we had last season is very pleasing.

"I have always said 90 points will win this division.

"We have 63 points still to play for which means we could drop 20 points and still win the league. That equates to seven losses and right now I can't see us losing seven games between now and the end of the season."

King has a number of injury problems going into the game. He was only able to name three substitutes against Havant on Saturday when Lewis Hamilton, Paul Kennett, Derek Duncan and Steve Elliott were all absent.

With Duncan's loan from Wycombe expiring after today's game and impending suspensions for Dale Binns, Tom Davis and Jay Conroy, King needs reinforcements and he spent yesterday trying to add to his squad.

Borough have injury doubts over strikers Scott Ramsay and Andy Atkin together with midfielder Matt Smart but winger Nathan Crabb returns from a three-match suspension.

Wilson added: "We'll leave it to the last minute to make a decision on Andy, Scott and Matt.

"The games are coming thick and fast now and it is getting harder for us to cope as our squad is small.

"There are a lot of tired legs after some tough games in the last week but we will go out to try to win the game.

"We are at home so the onus is on us a bit more than on Boxing Day.

"We are strong at Priory Lane and have a decent record against Lewes so we'll give it our best shot."

Who do you think will win the title?