Bring on Brett! Hampshire League minnows Harvest keen to face former Portsmouth ace Pitman in Senior Cup action

The former Pompey star has belted 23 goals in just 17 appearances for the Royals in league and cup action this season.

Of those, 17 have come in just 12 Wessex League Premier starts.

With that record in mind, who’d want their defence to come up against the free-scoring 34-year-old?

Well, Harvest boss Wayne Lowton for one!

The Hampshire Premier League club have been handed a trip to Portchester in the second round of the Portsmouth Senior Cup on November 22.

Almost certainly, though, Pitman will be given the evening off - and so could many of the Royals’ main names.

Pitman, for example, hasn’t played in this season’s Hampshire Senior Cup or Russell Cotes Cup ties.

‘It would be nice to see Mr Pitman,’ said Lowton, ‘but I don’t think we will.

‘I’m sure if you asked the players, they would like to play against him - you always want to play against the best, don’t you?

‘We’ll enjoy the occasion and it will be tough whoever they (Portchester) put out.

‘We’re all looking forward to it.’

Harvest have made a decent start to their first ever campaign of Hampshire Premier League top flight football.

They are sixth in the Senior Division after coming from behind to beat Overton 4-2 at Front Lawn last weekend.

Captain Luke Steere quickly levelled from the penalty spot and Harvest were 3-1 ahead when Dan Goodsell headed in at the back post and the visiting keeper punched a Logan Vickers corner into his own net.

The first-half scoring wasn’t over, though, with Overton’s Adam Hargood netting his second of the game.

On the hour mark Lowton decided to introduce all five of his subs at once - four midfielders and attackers as well as centre half Mychal Griffin.

Remmi Cake headed in Harvest’s fourth shortly after.

Prior to facing Portchester, Harvest face Liss in a HPL fixture and lower division Headley United in the HPL Cup.