WEST Ham skipper Lucas Neill is hoping that Tuesday night's opponents Portsmouth won't quite be at the races.

The south coast outfit are in FA Cup semi-final action against West Brom at Wembley on Saturday, just three days before travelling to Upton Park for a Premier Legaue clash.

It is a sitation that Neill (pictured) anticipates could work in his side's favour.

"Obviously all their focus will be on that game," he observed.

"Maybe we can catch them off guard, on an off day where their focus is elsewhere. Either way it's a game at home and we want to win."

While Pompey have been in red-hot form having won eight of their last ten games, the Irons' season has turned into something of a damp squib.

The east Londoners have taken just four potins from their last six outings and remain in tenth place in the Premier League - a position they've occupied for some 19 games.

However, Neill insists that there is no reason to believe that, with a good run between now and the end of the season, they can't still catch the sides immediately above them.

"We've got to try and keep going and give ourselves any chance," he told the club's official website.

"We've got to try and believe that we can win five or six out of the last six (games).

"It would be stupid just to try and play the season out now."