The difference in financial fortunes between Exeter City and Bournemouth was perhaps best summed up by their respective dealings in last month's transfer window.

The Grecians were forced to sell full-back Scott Golbourne to help balance the books and replace him with an out-of-favour npower League Two full-back on half the wages in Luke O'Brien.

Bournemouth splashed out around £1million to lure Matt Tubbs to the club from League Two big spenders Crawley Town. Donal McDermott, Steve Cook, Charlie Daniels, Simon Francis, Wes Thomas and Scott Malone also arrived on the south coast last month as manager Lee Bradbury looks to build a side capable of challenging for promotion.

Tonight, then, in a match which has been hastily fixed up after last Saturday's postponement, the 'haves' of Bournemouth will entertain the 'have nots' of Exeter, with both sides desperate for the points in their respective battles this season.

"It is their prerogative to spend what they have got," Exeter boss Paul Tisdale said. "We are all entitled to do that, it is not their fault they have money to spend and I'm certainly not going to deride them for having money. Good for them. It so happens that they can spend on one player what we can spend on our entire squad next season, so great, good for them. Beating them is no more important or more rewarding than beating any other side in this league, it's about us picking up points. We're just looking at things from our point of view. We all have our own situations and we are content with ours."

Tubbs, who blasted a phenomenal 49 goals in just 65 appearances for Crawley, is well known to Exeter for an equally impressive scoring record during his spell with Salisbury City in the Conference. He is certainly one for the Exeter defence to keep an eye on, but, as Tisdale says, coming up against prolific goalscorers is nothing new.

"We come up against a lot of good strikers in this league," Tisdale said. "Most teams have players of note in their side and the fact that Bournemouth have spent nearly £1million on a striker is good for them, it's not something we can do.

"We will be well prepared for him and every other player in their side. We will play the game on its merits and he will be a part of it."

Even if Tisdale does not cast an envious glance towards Bournemouth's dealings, many connected to Exeter certainly do. Tubbs' return of 18 goals this season is only five fewer than the entire Grecians' squad have managed in League One, but the manager remains convinced that it is a matter of time before their fortunes in front of goal begin to change.

"I don't think it's in front of goal that's been the problem. I just think we have been very workmanlike with the way we have played, we have been responsible and these things haven't clicked," Tisdale said.

"It's about how the team plays and how you think and how you react, how you react as a group.

"At the moment, I'm focusing on how the strikers are going to defend for us. You may think that's a bit odd, but it's not, it's about making people think correctly.

"It's about the team and if they are all thinking correctly and working as a team and these things then evolve and it will happen. It will happen organically and be a part of how everyone thinks.

"Everyone defends together and everyone attacks together. The easiest thing will be to concentrate on working as a group and defending together, standing in the right place and thinking the right thing.

"Executing the difference in a game is really hard and without being in a place where you can think correctly and relax, then it's not going to happen. The last thing I am going to do is keep talking about it."

Exeter City (from): Krysiak, Pidgeley; Tully, Dunne, Coles, Archibald-Henville, Jones, Duffy, Noble, O'Brien, Sercombe, O'Flynn, Logan, Nardiello, Taylor, Bauza, Keohane, Frear, Bennett, Nichols, McNish.