Former Portchester and US Portsmouth strike Joe Johnson grabs late Baffins Milton Rovers’ Wessex League winner

Joe Johnson gave Baffins Milton Rovers a reminder of his goalscoring ability with a late Wessex League winner against Pagham.
By Simon Carter
Published 9th Oct 2022, 14:02 BST
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Despite being US Portsmouth’s leading goalscorer last season with 11 strikes, Johnson has been restricted to just four league and cup starts for Rovers this term.

His chances have been limited while strikers Tom Vincent, Kelvin Robinson and Alpay Ali have all scored seven times, with Jason Parish netting five goals.

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Johnson, though, was introduced as a first-half sub against Pagham in place of Parish, who was feeling a quad injury.

Joe Johnson, pictured playing for US Portsmouth last season, struck Baffins' late winner against Pagham. Picture: Neil MarshallJoe Johnson, pictured playing for US Portsmouth last season, struck Baffins' late winner against Pagham. Picture: Neil Marshall
Joe Johnson, pictured playing for US Portsmouth last season, struck Baffins' late winner against Pagham. Picture: Neil Marshall

With five minutes remaining, he popped up the far post to volley in a Rob Evans cross to give Baffins a fourth league win in five outings.

It was only a second first team goal of 2022/23 for the one-time AFC Portchester forward.

Rovers are now unbeaten in seven games in all competitions, but boss Danny Thompson insisted keeper Roux Hardcastle was man of the match against the Sussex club who gave a debut to ex-Pompey striker Brad Lethbridge.

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‘Roux pulled off some outstanding saves,’ he reported. ‘If it wasn’t for him we would have lost.

‘Pagham will be disappointed they didn’t get something. A draw would probably have been a fair result, but its swings and roundabouts - we deserved something against Portchester (lost 3-2) but didn’t get it.’

Pagham arrived with ex-Baffins pair Stan Bridgman and George Britton keen to impress, while Lethbridge was a ‘handful’ for central defensive pair Obi Saidy and Ed Sanders.

Hardcastle has now kept back-to-back Wessex clean sheets after the midweek goalless stalemate with rock bottom Blackfield & Langley.

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It would have been three in a row but for Brockenhurst converting a late penalty in last weekend’s 6-1 romp in the New Forest.

Baffins now face two tough away trips in the space of four days - at AFC Portchester in the Wessex League Cup on Wednesday and Shaftesbury in the league on Saturday.

‘We could have done without the cup game this week,’ rued Thompson, ‘but it is what it is. Shaftesbury is my priority, that’s our bread and butter.’

Related topics:PortsmouthBaffins Milton RoversPortchesterDanny ThompsonBrad Lethbridge