Men’s teams will want to forget latest fixture round

PORTSMOUTH men’s first team slipped to a 4-2 Hampshire/Surrey 2 derby defeat at the hands of Hamble.

Despite a strong start which saw them create several clear-cut chances, it was the hosts who went ahead against the run of play while Pete Hayward was off the field after receiving an unfortunate green card.

Chances came and went before they were hit by another sucker-punch 10 minutes before the break as they fell 2-0 behind.

Hayward would make up for his green card five minutes later, powering home a penalty corner to give Portsmouth great belief.

Top scorer Stu Avery then brought the visitors back on level terms to set up a thrilling finish.

But that was as good as it got for Portsmouth, with Hamble striking twice before the final whistle went to record a 4-2 derby victory.

■ Portsmouth 2nds were beaten 3-1 at home by Aldershot & Farnham 2nds in Hampshire Division Three.

The game was finely poised at 1-1 heading into the final 10 minutes but it was Aldershot who held their nerve to claim an away victory.

Alex Davidson's fine second-half strike had cancelled out the visitors opener minutes before the break. There were two successive short corners which were wasted and Aldershot would strike twice in the closing stages.

■ Portsmouth 3rds failed to bounce back from a crushing Hampshire Division Five defeat when they made the trip to Winchester 5ths.

Things started so well for the visitors, who opened up a 1-0 advantage inside the opening 20 minutes, only to end up suffering a 3-1 defeat.

Alex Williams' powerful drag-flick nestled in the bottom corner to hand Portsmouth the lead.

But that seemed to spark Winchester into life. The warning signs were there in the first half and the hosts hit three unanswered goals after the restart to seal a 3-1 victory.

■ Portsmouth 4ths fell to defeat in a seven-goal thriller with Gosport 2nds.

In an incredible encounter, it was the visitors who won it in the dying seconds of the Hampshire Division Seven meeting.

Gosport raced into an early two-goal lead but John Arnell's tap-in just before half time gave Portsmouth some confidence. The hosts fell two goals behind for a second time but Pete Wingate's double made it 3-3. But Gosport stole the victory after netting from a short corner.