WESSEX LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2014
AFC PORTCHESTER 3 VERWOOD TOWN 0

We had a couple of missing squad members from Tuesday night but back came Jordan Dent and Matt Groves to fill in the blanks. Damon Cousins was able to join us and made up the bench along with Lee O'Connell and Carl Poore (forgot to get changed from Tuesday night)

Portchester were first to attack and a good piece of football on their left gave an opportunity for a low cross into the 6 yard box. Evans read it well and cleared the area.

We hit back. Groves sent a ball wide for Evans to race on to and a good cross from our right was just too high for the in rushing Fisk.

Buck made a fine tackle to stop entry into the area and using pace outstripped his marker on the left. A neat pass inside the defence and Fisk went clear to hit a rising shot for the top corner. The keeper flicked it over the bar.

Whelan's corner swerved toward the edge of the box and Dent went up high to head for goal. Sadly it whistled over the top.

Rutten closed down a defender winning a corner. The inswinger found Groves with his back to goal. A neat lay back let in Dyer for a shot but it went wide of the foot of the post.

Fisk had a shot then Groves sent Rutten free with a neat ball wide left. We had chances but couldn't put the ball away. Shades of Tuesday night.

We almost suffered by pushing too far up. One attack was cleared high and wide by the home centre half. Two runners with only Gajic back. It should have been a goal but Lynch stopped it on the line and flicked it away for Evans to catch up and clear.

Then a golden opportunity as a back pass fell nicely for Fisk in space. Closing the keeper Fisk tried to fire past him but only a lone pigeon suffered.

Dyer and Buck moved the ball swiftly down the left and Buck's cross was turned towards the net by Groves. A size 12 stopped it crossing the line.

We were having the edge on play and should have been in front. Portchester however had spurned the chance of the game when again we had been caught wandering and a double attack left a player unmarked 10 yards out. The ball thankfully emulated a Morrison's trolley and did it's own thing hitting a line of trees at the back of the field.

Half Time 0-0

Portchester's chat at half time must have been quite an event. They came out of the traps as though they had had shots of Adrenalin.

By comparison we were flat footed and slow. 2 minutes only had elapsed and Portchester won a corner. In it came and we forgot to jump. Portchester had an easy chance to put the ball past Lynch so we suddenly found ourselves one down.

We looked shaken and Portchester went for broke. They had their tails up and went for everything. They were successful as we wilted under pressure.

5 minutes gone and a good move on their left split us open for a cross to be headed past Lynch 0-2.

Two successive corners minutes later told the tale of our lackadaisical approach to the game. Lynch was saviour with 20 minutes gone taking a brilliant catch under intense pressure.

Whelan was marked tighter but was able to shrug off a strong challenge in the middle of the park to send Fisk away on the right. A cross into the box was just missed by Rutten's outstretched right foot.

We worked ourselves back into the game for a short while with Gajic instrumental in generating some enthusiasm from his own example.

Winning central battles for high balls Gajic pushed forward using the flanks to open up a tight Portchester defence.

Rutten benefitted form one such move but couldn't get a shot away as Portchester had flooded their box with defenders.

Foster tried a shot and then Fisk slammed a shot onto the post.

Portchester retaliated with a shot that hit the bar !!

31 minutes and we had a nightmare lapse in defence. A grateful Portchester strolled into the 6 yard box and slipped the ball past Lynch to make it 0-3.

There have been times in the past when games have been won in the last 15 minutes despite teams being on the thick end of a score line.…not this one though. We couldn't drag ourselves into a scoring position and although Groves and Fisk worked an opening with 5 minutes left we couldn't convert the opportunity.

At the whistle Portchester took the spoils and deservedly so for a good second half revival. It could have been a completely different story had we taken the chances created. Result though …………. 0-3.



Report submitted by Bernard Scott