Another clean sheet for Portsmouth loanee Steward as Gosport’s stunning Southern League start continues

Gosport Borough fans in good spirits during the Bank Holiday Monday derby win at Sholing. Picture by Tom Phillips

Gosport Borough’s stunning start to the Southern League Premier South campaign continued with a Bank Holiday Monday Hampshire derby win.

A 3-0 victory at Southampton-based Sholing means Boro have now won five and drawn one of their opening six league fixtures.

They have a 100 per cent away record after three games, and have yet to concede a goal.

Pompey loanee Toby Steward has now kept clean sheets in victories at Plymouth Parkway (2-0), Swindon Supermarine (2-0) and now Sholing.

Antonio Diaz about to score Gosport's third. Picture by Tom Phillips

Last season, it took Boro 12 games - and a change of management - before they had managed to collect nine points on their travels.

They remain two points adrift of Merthyr, who collected their sixth straight win 3-0 at Supermarine.

And third-placed Chesham are also still boasting a 100 per cent record after beating Beaconsfield 3-0 to record their fifth win in a row.

Joint Boro bosses Joe Lea and Pat Suraci made three changes to the starting XI following the 2-2 Privett Park draw with Walton & Hersham 48 hours earlier.

Brad Tarbuck and Antonio Diaz were recalled to the starting XI while Kurtis Cumberbatch was handed his first start.

Sholing are playing at step 3 of the non-league pyramid for the first time in their history after winning the Division 1 South play-offs last term.

They had led Merthyr in south Wales at the weekend, before losing 2-1, and had beaten Hayes & Yeading 1-0 in their only previous home league game.

But Boro led 2-0 at the interval, in front of a crowd of 561, thanks to goals from Alex Barsa and Dan Wooden.

Diaz celebrated his return to the starting XI with a fine solo run and finish in the second half.

Steward preserved his fourth clean sheet in six league games when he saved a one on one from Jake Adams.

Two former Pompey players were on target for AFC Totton in their 3-2 Hampshire derby loss at Basingstoke Town.

Sam Magri - who had a short loan spell at Gosport last season while with Hawks - and Alfie Stanley replied for Jimmy Ball’s men.

Another ex-Hawks favourite, striker Tommy Wright, netted Winchester City’s stoppage time leveller in a 1-1 draw against Salisbury.

Boro are next in action on Friday with a real banana skin tie in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.

They have been drawn against Wessex League Premier Division club Laverstock & Ford.