WESSEX LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 2ND APRIL 2016
AFC PORTCHESTER 3 VERWOOD TOWN 1

It seemed to be a frantic pace as the ball whizzed about between players who could easily double up as the ‘Road Runner’.

Stroud was in action within the first minute as a ball chipped into our box needed urgent attention as runner bore down on him. Stroud provided safe hands to take the ball under pressure.

We were pushed back, defending deep giving a nail biting time for Alan Lay.

Phelps and Donachy continued their ever improving combination whilst today we had a mature Ben Kelly working between Donachy and Murray.

Wood and Swann laboured up front with Brinson and Murray trying an overlapping system.

Portchester’s back four looked comfortable shackling Wood and Swann in and around the half way line. We posed little threat.

We made a break through after 25 minutes sparked by a Donachy defensive header. The ball found Swann and a run on our right was brought to a halt by Portchester’s right back cutting across to belt the ball into touch.

Dyer and Gajic matched the running and effort of Portchester’s mid field so it developed as an interesting tussle in mid field.

Joe Wood was tightly marked and found difficulty finding any space. Swann was equally closed down so we didn’t have a lot of success in getting behind the home team’s back four.

Another spell of pressure eased when Donachy headed a cross out of the area. Gajic collected the ball and chipped on to Swann. Swann this time shook off his marker and went one on one. Swann won it and slid the ball under the keeper for a very welcome goal. 1-0.

Stung, Portchester attacked down their right and a ball floated into the box was carefully judged by Kelly and headed clear.

Stroud went low to take a good catch with a couple of minutes of the half left and then watched another shot gto high and wide as Portchester finished the half in our half.

Half Time 1-0

Four shots in the first two minutes gave a sign of Portchester’s half time chat. Two went over the bar, Stroud caught one and Murray kicked a low shot off the line.

54 minutes and another cross shot whistled across the box. Stroud went low but the ball squirmed free to finish up nestling in a corner of the net. 1-1.

8 minutes later we almost went behind when we parted in the middle allowing a runner space to fire a shot past Stroud but for Donachy to prove his quality by anticipating the rising shot and clearing off the line.

We spluttered but couldn’t fire. Gajic went close with a shot from outside the area but the keeper generally wasn’t troubled.

70 minutes gone and we saw a game of football ping pong as the ball bounced and rolled around in the area. We didn’t clear it so an opportunity arose from the edge of the area for a shot and there was no mistake as the ball crept past Stroud into the bottom corner. 1-2.

4 minutes later Jack Swann made way for Jordan Fisk.

Fisk was in the mix straight away as Dyer and Gajic worked the ball across mid field. Gajic finished the move releasing Fisk for a run on goal. Good defending closed him down on the flank preventing a cross but giving away a corner.

Wood rose higher than others but planted the ball wide.

Then it was back to defending as Portchester got hold of the mid field. We dropped deeper leaving Wood and Guthrie isolated hoping for a counter.

One long ball from Murray gave Guthrie space but again a hard grafting Portchester cut out the route to goal leaving Wood and Guthrie unemployed.

15 minutes left and a chance shot from the edge of our box went unhampered past a horde of players eventually skipping past Stroud to make it 1-3.

Although we had a few balls in Portchester’s third we couldn’t do much with them. We were closed down quickly and unable to dent the home sides defence.

The game went to 47 minutes because of an injury to Stroud but the score board chalked up a win for Portchester.

Result 1-3