PORTLAND UNITED 0
BROCKENHURST 2
Bullard 75, Nwachukwu 80 pen
PORTLAND United lost a second home Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division game in five days as Brockenhurst outfoxed the Blues to collect a 2-0 victory at the Weyline Stadium.
The Badgers arrived in Dorset with a clear gameplan and suckered Portland twice on the counter in the dying stages, Freddie Bullard slotting home before Jude Nwachukwu’s late penalty.
A disappointing day for the Blues also produced several missed chances as Brendon King’s men failed to make a goalscoring impression – they remain in third place.
Bailey Rowe forced a stunning save from Badgers’ keeper Tom Webb early on, the Brockenhurst gloveman leaping to claw out the striker’s rasping effort.
Brockenhurst tested Blues’ stopper Tom Rees without any shot of note in the first half, the Weymouth-affiliated keeper punching two crosses clear.
Portland were also goal-shy in the opening period, Josh Williams and Ben Morris restricted to rising drives as Webb was able to watch the midfielders’ efforts sail over the bar.
King’s men continued to look the likelier to score as Jamie Beasley spurned two chances, while Williams again fired over.
Not their fluent selves in attack, Portland were punished when a forward move broke down, allowing the hard-working visitors to break.
Brockenhurst smuggled the ball to Bullard in the area and the striker’s neat turn and shot produced a fine goal on 75 minutes.
King switched formation in his attempts to engineer an equaliser, but Portland were again hit on the break five minutes later.
Calm play saw the Badgers work the ball upfield and Luke King was adjudged to have handled, with Nwachukwu’s penalty too strong for Rees, who got a paw to the ball but could not keep it out.
Speaking to Echosport, King felt Portland had not created sufficient chances in attack to warrant a victory.
He said: “Ultimately, you look at it and I don’t think we did enough to win the game. There were certain periods where we were on top and when you’re on top you’ve got to take your chances.
“There’s fine margins in football and they didn’t go for us.”
He added: “It was a strange one, we were poor in the final third with our decision making. They’ve had two shots and scored two goals.
“Don’t take anything away from them because they worked really hard, they were well-organised, got around the park well and made it difficult for us.
“They had a gameplan and it worked.”
Blues: Rees, Bastick, L King (Bessant 80), Symes, Clarke, Stewart, Williams, Morris, Beasley (Cox 80), Batista (Halloran 55), Rowe. Sub not used: M Buckler
Match sponsors: Jamie Rodd and Family
Match ball sponsor: Terry Hall
Programme sponsor: Cafe Oasis – Paul Cocks
Mascot: Henry Rodd
Attendance: 102
Man of the match: Jamie Symes
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