Poate puts boots back on in Royals friendly win

Brett Poate ‘rolled back the years’ with a run-out for AFC Portchester in their friendly victory over Folland Sports on Tuesday.

The retired Royals first team coach was forced to get the boots back on with Dave Carter's side missing a number of players even before both Olly Searle and Harvey Aston were ruled out with suspected sun stroke in the warm-up.

Poate, 37, partnered his former Gosport Borough and Moneyfields team-mate Sam Pearce in the centre of defence as Portchester ran out 4-3 friendly victors against their Wessex 1 visitors.

The former defender turned coach even teed up striker Lamin Jatta, below, for the Royals' third goal.

And Poate has been joking with boss Carter about putting the boots back on this term after completing the 90 minutes and grabbing an assist.

Carter said: 'We started with about 15 available, the under-23s had a game so I left them alone because that was their first pre-season game. We lost two in the warm-up, both went down with sun stroke in Harvey Aston and Olly Searle. They were both starting as well.

‘We’re assuming sun stroke but we’re not sure. We lost both of them so Brett Poate had to start, he was rolling back the years.

‘He played centre-half with Sam Pearce and they were rolling back the years - it was the old boys back together.

‘It’s pre-season friendlies so we still had enough to get through the game.

‘Brett had no choice (getting through the 90 minutes). He’s not played in 18 months he said last night.

‘He’s put on the WhatsApp group that he’s in the gaffer’s office on Thursday.

‘He put a superb ball in for Lamin, who took his goal really well.'

Carter was delighted to have summer signing Kieran Roberts back fit and firing.

Featuring for the Royals for the first time, the former Wimborne and Moneyfields striker netted twice against Folland - adding to goals from Jatta and Curtis Da Costa - to ensure the hosts edged the sevengoal thriller.

Roberts’ performance was one of a number of positives Carter took from the friendly.

He added: 'Pre-season is about pre-season, there are no points won or lost, you get a bit of confidence out of winning but it’s more about finding out what works for your team in certain games.

‘There are lots of people like Sam Pearce, Curtis Da Costa, Lee Wort, Kieran Roberts - the bulk of the squad getting 90 minutes under their belt again. He (Kieran) got injured in an in-house friendly game a couple of months ago with a hip flexor injury.

‘He got through 90 minutes, though the second half was played at a very slow pace.'

Portchester host AFC Totton athis Saturday.