Portchester secure play-off place with Horndean win
By Connor Steel
AFC PORTCHESTER guaranteed themselves a deserved promotion ‘play-offs’ spot within this Isthmian League South Central Division as they travelled the short distance for Horndean on Easter Monday (April 6); where they completed a comfortable three-nil victory after a clinical and professional performance watched by the 343 fans at Five Heads Park.
The visitors started strongly in the beautiful conditions and created the first opportunity in the ninth minute through Alfie Stanley, whose hooked drive was stopped by Ryan North as the ball fell kindly to him inside the box. It was followed by shots from both Connor Duffin and Dylan Rees in rapid succession which were cleared at source by the home defence.
Horndean responded to the early pressure with a period of patient possession that ended as Ryan Carroll’s shot curled harmlessly off target on twenty minutes; the hosts then winning a corner that was caught by the Royals keeper. But the opener fell to Portchester before the half hour when Stanley fed Rees in a pocket of space who fired easily into the net.
Gav Spurway’s side continued to push and saw a goal disallowed for offside on thirty-eight minutes but they were soon celebrating moments later when Duffin converted a brilliant set-piece via the far post under pressure. There was further a chance to make it three-nil before this interval as a throw-in was played into Lee Wort, who sliced wide in added time.
Away dominance carried itself into the second half as Portchester scored their “killer third” goal after fifty-three minutes; Wort tapping into this corner after Alfie Wilcox had flicked a throw-in towards his path using clever awareness. It should have been four-nil when Wilcox sprinted onto a ball through their midfield, but his effort lacked the powers to test North.
Substitutions followed across the sides with Horndean getting a fresh impetus that pushed them into two good chances after this hour; Archie Sheppard firing wide from an angle and Ralph Aneley seeing a shot saved comfortably down low. Down the other end Destiny Ojo linked up quickly with Olly Searle down the right but he blasted high over the crossbar.
More changes signalled a lull in proceedings going into this last fifteen minutes and there was natural drops in intensity with this result already decided, although this didn’t stop the flurry of yellow cards for niggly fouls across the sides. The Royals did have two late openings through Stanley who curled wide on 88 minutes and volleyed over in stoppage time.
Other results on Monday afternoon mean that Portchester sit fifth in the table with three matches still left to play in their regular season, which ends on April 25 as they travel to Kingstonian. Before this however the Royals have another two games that can now be used as preparation for the upcoming play-offs as they host Southall and rivals Hamworth Villa.
PICTURED BY NATHAN LIPSHAM: Lee Wort tries to hook the ball towards his target under huge defensive pressures.
