All too familiar tale for AFC Portchester as they suffer Hamworthy defeat

The Royals assistant manager felt all three goals conceded in the 3-0 loss in Dorset were 'gifts'.

Max Wilcox's double, with efforts in either half, and Jack Lovell's strike condemned Portchester to a third loss in nine league games so far this season.

Spurway stressed a familiar pattern is forming this season with individual errors proving costly time after time.

But the Portchester assistant boss has no doubt those mistakes will be cut out and things will be much more positive moving forward.

Spurway said: ‘They’re (Hamworthy) a good side, you can tell they’ve been together for two or three years, they’ve got some good players who should be playing in the league above or the league above that to be fair to them.

‘For the first 15 minutes we were well on top in the game, we should have had a penalty, and their keeper has pulled off a great save.

‘We gave the first goal away and then we gave them the second goal, really. You can’t gift the good sides goals because then it’s an uphill battle.

‘The lads came out second half and had a go then we give them the third goal. It’s not really going our way at the moment at the right times in games.

‘They got on top after the first 15 (minutes), they score, because we give them a goal and then we give them another goal then it’s an uphill battle against a side like that.’

But Spurway says things could have been a lot different had the visitors capitalised on a strong start in a game where dual-signed AFC Totton midfielder Adam Tomasso was handed his Portchester debut.

The Royals assistant boss was aggrieved Ryan Pennery was denied a 'stonewall' penalty at 1-0 down while George Barker was denied by a brilliant save at 2-0 behind.

Spurway said: ‘If we score early - we had a stonewall penalty - I don’t know why (the referee) didn’t give it.

‘Their keeper, I don’t know how he’s done it, Barks (George Barker) has took three players on, cut in, shot and the keeper has saved it and the ball has spun across the line.

‘Sometimes you need one to go in off someone’s shin or knee cap where you’re in the ascendancy but it just doesn’t seem to be going like that or falling for us. We’ll keep working hard and I’m sure it will.’