Five-star US Portsmouth end 10-month wait for Wessex League home win with club record step 5 success

Fraser Quirke’s men entered the Premier Division fixture having not gained three points at the Victory Stadium since January 29.

Since then, USP had drawn four and lost nine of their 13 home Wessex games - including the previous six in a row.

But they romped to a 5-0 victory, recording the club’s biggest ever step 5 (ninth tier) win and inflicting on Alresford a 14th successive Premier defeat.

USP are now eight points ahead of the two-team relegation zone after back-to-back wins, having triumphed 4-2 at Bournemouth Poppies the previous weekend.

‘It was brilliant, a great day for us,’ enthused Quirke. ‘Five goals, five different scorers, and a clean sheet.’

Quirke handed a debut to Alex Andrews at left-back, the player having left divisional rivals Blackfield & Langley.

Andrews is no strange to HMS Temeraire, having been a regular for USP in 2017/18 when the club were in Division 1 of the Wessex.

His presence allowed Luke Richards to move up into left midfield, a change which paid dividends when the latter opened the scoring against Alresford on 14 minutes.

It was 2-0 when Dan Sibley beat his marker on the right wing and whipped in a delicious cross for Lamin Jatta to head home.

Second half strikes followed from Danny Burroughs and Sibley before Cameron Quirke completed the nap hand with almost the last kick of the game.

It was a thumping win from a squad minus three strikers - Brandon Jewell and Kelvin Mathe unavailable and Simon Woods out injured.

Bradey Norton (hamstring) and Kelly Nwahei (ankle) also remain sidelined, while Ash Thompson has been told by medics not to play for three weeks after sustaining three concussion injuries this season.

Next up for USP is a Wessex trip to Stoneham, who have already fired 10 goals past Quirke’s men in two games this season. A 6-1 FA Vase win was followed by a 4-1 Wessex success at the Victory Stadium.