Baggie makes dream start to Gosport Borough career – as boss Shaun Gale targets new defensive signing this week

In front of a crowd of almost 700 basking in the Privett Park sunshine, Baggie twice netted from 25 yards in the second half after cutting in from the left flank.

He was also fouled for the penalty which allowed striker Harvey Bradbury - another player making his competitive Boro debut - to open the scoring from the penalty spot.

Merthyr levelled before half-time but Baggie’s stunning double opened up a 3-1 lead before a freak own goal from Dan Wooden gave the scoreline a closer look.

‘Baggie’s very clever at finding little pockets of space,’ said Boro boss Shaun Gale. ‘He’s a very exciting player.’

Baggie arrived at Gosport in the summer after spells at Hawks - where his two goals arrived in the same game, a 2-2 home draw with Dulwich Hamlet - and Salisbury last season. Prior to that, he had spent a season at National League club Eastleigh after helping Weymouth to back-to-back promotions.

‘I think he’s been a bit unlucky,’ said Gale. ‘He did very well at Weymouth, then he’s had a few moves which haven’t worked out - that happens to a player.

‘He needs looking after, he’s the sort of player who needs an arm thrown around him, he’s that type of lad.

‘He wants to be loved, and if he carries on playing like that he can have all the love he wants!

‘He’s a flair player and they get confidence from taking people on, delivering balls into the box. Saturday will have done him the world of good.

‘We needed a different dimension (compared to last season) and he provided that.

‘Same with Harvey Bradbury, who gave us a physical presence up front that we didn’t have before. He held the ball up well, brought people into play, and got the goal he deserved.’

Due to injuries, Gale admitted he needed to shuffle some players around in order to field what he said was his strongest XI.

Among those was Rory Williams, normally an attacking full-back who was deployed as a centre half alongside Matt Briggs.

Gale is hoping to sign a new central defender this week. ‘I had one in the building last week but his current club had an injury and decided to keep him,’ he revealed.

‘We could do with an experienced centre half.’

One player who has appeared in that position before is teenager Izzy Kabba, who was released by Portsmouth in the summer.

Kabba spent the second half of last season on a work experience loan at Gosport’s Premier South rivals Salisbury.

‘He’s a welcome addition because we haven’t got great numbers,’ said Gale. ‘We’ve signed him on a short-term contract. I’ll be speaking to his agent to see what he wants to do.’

Gale handed London-based winger Kyal Williams his competitive Boro debut against Merthyr, but the player had to come off due to a hamstring injury.

Brad Tarbuck, though, could be in contention for next Saturday’s trip to Weston-super-Mare after suffering a pre-season ankle injury.