Borough move closer to safety in late Marlow win
By Connor Steel
GOSPORT BOROUGH moved another step away from the relegation spaces in the Southern League as they travelled to strugglers Marlow on Saturday afternoon (February 15); eventually confirming a two-one success against their rivals after scoring a last minute winner in front of over three hundred supporters at the drizzly Alfred Davis Memorial Ground.
The home side settled quickly and saw the first notable attempt within three minutes on a difficult surface; Miles Obodo running into space and missing his target from close range. Down the other end Gosport had a spell of possession that ended with Samuel Faniyan placing harmlessly off a good ball; the opening quarter hour seeing little clear-cut chances.
A series of set pieces were comfortably cleared by Marlow and they used it as their platform to attack; Obodo volleying his shot past the right post before Christopher Ovenden fired straight at away keeper Adam Parkes. But the hosts went even closer when Naheer Nawaf beat two defenders for pace and floated his effort past the post from around 20 yards.
Borough however were the team to score this opener in the thirty-seventh minute as a pass was played into the path of Dan Wooden who offered good experience to blast inside the corner for 1-0. Marlow tried to react before the interval as Mekhai Bessasa-Grant fed Obodo in a quick flowing attack; the striker failing to score with the whistle blown soon after.
Marlow began to move ‘play’ quicker upon the restart and saw a succession of dangerous set-pieces with one of these resulting in the equaliser on fifty-four minutes; Mitchell Parker slotting home a clever free kick past Parkes. The visiting keeper soon did brilliantly to deny a header from the winger after great work down the left side just after the hour mark.
Away substitutions followed in a bid to halt home momentum and this didn’t see any immediate impact as Obodo again went close with a good effort whilst Bessasa-Grant had a shot saved well by Parkes. In response Borough saw a move cut out by Ovendon with Alfie Stanley attacking a great position before Charlie Wassmer subtly headed over his corner.
Parker went close for Marlow on eighty-three minutes as he latched onto a deep ball and dragged over from an offside position; the visitors responding with a free-kick moments later that rattled the crossbar. The winner was coming and it was Gosport who clinched all 3 points in added time; Stanley rounding the keeper and slotting home to jubilant cheers.
A second win in three matches ensures that Borough sit ten points above the drop zone with 12 to play this campaign; although they can be drawn back into a tense battle if their previous bad form re-emerges. They face two further away trips to sides around them this week as they play Frome on Tuesday night, before visiting Plymouth Parkway on 22/02.
PICTURED BY GOSPORT BOROUGH MEDIA: Alfred Davis Memorial Ground prepares for game despite the weather.
