Catlin delighted with new-look defence as AFC Portchester keep pressure on Wessex League top two

The Royals won 3-0 at nine-man Horndean last night to remain eight points adrift of new leaders AFC Stoneham, but with a game in hand.

They are seven points adrift of second-placed Alresford, but have two games in hand.

Former Hawk Jordan Rose and Craig Hardy formed a solid centre half pairing at Five Heads Park as Horndean were restricted to few chances.

At left back, Joe Noakes started only his second competitive game in 18 months - his first had been against Baffins Milton at the weekend.

Rose has been dual signed from Southern Leaguers Blackfield & Langley, where he is currently suspended.

His ban runs out after Portchester’s home clash with Hamworthy this weekend, and Catlin remains unsure if his parent club will take him back.

‘Jordan’s a Conference South defender and he used his experience well at Horndean,’ the manager said.

‘Craig Hardy has only just come back from a bad injury he suffered in pre-season.

‘His return has come at a good time because we needed shoring up at the back.

‘As for Joe, he’s had two 60-minute run-outs - we have to manage him. We don’t want to rush him back too quickly.

‘It’s not the broken leg that’s the issue, it’s the muscles around it.’

Up front, Jason Parish took his tally to five goals in four days with a double strike on the back of his hat-trick against former club Baffins.

Prior to last Saturday, Parish had only scored twice for the Royals since returning to the club from Baffins in October.

‘We’ve been working with Jason in training on his finishing and trying to keep his confidence up,’ revealed Catlin.

‘He was always contributing to the team overall, but as a striker you are judged on goals and Jason had gone through a dry spell.

‘When we beat Tadley 5-1 and he didn’t score, he was probably starting to think it wasn’t going to happen.

‘Now he’s looking a different player.’

All Portchester’s goals at Horndean came when they went down the slope in the second half.

The hosts were down to 10 men by that stage, with former Royals midfielder Ash Howes having been sent off just before the half-hour mark for a reckless challenge on Parish.

It was 3-0 by the time Fuzz Kanjanda was also dismissed for a second bookable offence.

‘In the end it was a comfortable victory,’ said Catlin.

‘It’s always tough against the hill and in the first half our game plan was just to keep it tight. I was happy to get to 0-0 at half-time.

‘In the second half we made the extra man count, and their second sending off killed the game off.

‘It was a niggly first half - I said to the team at half-time that we mustn’t let ourselves get dragged into any retaliation.

‘It was about keeping our heads, and we did that.’