Portchester beat Hartley with five star performance
By Connor Steel
AFC PORTCHESTER celebrated their welcomed return for home league action as they played Hartley Wintney in their latest Isthmian South Central Division encounter on Tuesday evening (October 7); comfortably earning a five-nil victory against their injury-hit Hampshire opponents following a fine display under autumn skies at the On-Site Group Stadium.
The hosts started quicker and they opened the scoring within the seventh minute through Lee Wort; the striker latching onto a hooked cross from Brett Pitman and converting easily at the back stick. Down the other end, Hartley could have equalised as a curled pass reached Alex Body, who was denied by Steven Mowthorpe’s brilliant near post double save.
Gav Spurway’s team responded to the scare and should have doubled the early lead after twenty-one minutes; Pitman getting onto the end of a delivery and looping onto the roof of the netting from eight yards out. This was followed up by another opening moments later as intense interplay fed Marley Ridge who fired the drive harmlessly over the crossbar.
George Wallace went close for Hartley before an injury stoppage halted their momentum after an enforced substitution; which allowed the Royals to regain a control and they were awarded a spot-kick for handball on 43 minutes. And it was expertly placed into this bottom corner despite goalkeeper Nick Jupp’s efforts, making it two-nil at this half time interval.
Hartley came out stronger upon the second half restart and created two ‘half chances’ in fast succession; this first one seeing Body’s low attempt blocked at source before a header floated over the crossbar from a tight angle. Portchester were simply more clinical however and did make it three-nil after this hour mark; Wort again netting a cross by Pitman.
Both sides made substitutions in response and this led to a lengthy lull in proceedings which was broken by a flurry of bookings for niggly fouls with about twenty minutes left on the clock. But a fourth goal stopped these from building into anything more and this came from Alfie Stanley; the attacker cutting inside and placing a shot past Jupp inside the net.
This ‘five-star’ display was confirmed through the last Portchester goal with just 12 minutes left to play through Connor Duffin, who took full advantage of a loose pass and net another goal that simply added gloss to their scoreline. Hartley did have a late chance for a consolation as Body ran forward and hit the far post, the Royals holding for a clean sheet.
Their success is one of Portchester’s matches in hand on other teams and the three points allows them to move out of this drop zone into seventeenth place after seven games played in this campaign. They are due to play second placed Raynes Park View away from home this Saturday at 3pm before hosting Westfield and later Ascot United (October 18).
PICTURED BY AFC PORTCHESTER MEDIA: The picture perfect view of the stadium hours before Tuesday’s kick off.
