‘We need to get momentum back’
Portchester’s six-match winning run ended by Burrfields
Portchester Rovers’ winning run in the Mid-Solent League was ended by another in-form side.
Rovers entered their game with Burrfields having rattled off six successive MSL victories.
And they looked on course for a seventh when top scorer Bobby Read and Paul Harris fired them into a 2-0 lead at Warblington School.
Read’s second half spotkick later saw Rovers open up a 3-1 advantage, but Burrfields hit back to draw 3-3 thanks to a double from Jack Palmer.
That extended their own unbeaten league run to seven games - four wins and three draws.
‘First half I’m sure even Burrfields would admit that we battered them,’ said Rovers boss Chris Yoxall.
‘We should have been more goals up at half-time than we were.
‘But the second half was a totally different story.
‘We got a soft penalty but Burrfields hit back with two very good goals and in the end we were a bit fortunate to get a draw.
‘The one hangover of lockdown is that we need to get our momentum back.
‘We were on fire before lockdown, but that stopped us in our tracks.’
It was no surprise Read and Palmer were among the scorers - both are among the three top scorers in the MSL this term.
Read now has 16 goals in only six appearances, while
Palmer’s brace took his tally to 13 in seven matches.
Top of the goal charts, though, is Mob Albion’s Harry Potter.
The former Clanfield man took his tally to 19 in eight outings with a double in the tabletoppers’ 4-2 win against
Wymering.
Yoxall is now looking forward to this weekend’s ‘massive’ clash with Mob at King George V. Though Mob are six points ahead of Portchester, the latter have two games in hand.
‘It’s vital that we get some points here if we’re going to catch them,’ said Yoxall. - SIMON CARTER
Reigning Mid-Solent League champions Harvest Home romped to their highest-ever Hampshire Premier League victory in Steve Harris’ first games as manager. Full story in tomorrow’s News along with a preview of Paulsgrove v Bush Hill.