Former Portsmouth Academy defender Liam Kelly makes winning Wessex League debut

He played the full 90 minutes at left-back as US Portsmouth claimed a ‘massively important’ 3-2 Premier Division victory over Bournemouth Poppies.

Kelly - the grandson of USP head coach and director of football Henry Millington - is currently at the University of Portsmouth after spending time studying in America.

Released by Pompey in the summer of 2020, Kelly travelled across the Atlantic to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

After falling behind to a penalty, USP hit back to lead 3-1 at home to Poppies through Elliott Holmes, Dan Sibley and Lamin Jatta. Poppies set up a tense finale with a second in the last 10 minutes.

USP are now eight points clear of second-bottom Pagham, but Poppies - who have not won in the league since September - are in big trouble. They are only two points ahead of Pagham, but have played five more matches.

‘I tried not to talk about the importance of the game,’ said USP boss Fraser Quirke. ‘But the lads aren’t daft, they look at the table.

‘Everybody understood the importance of those three points. There was definite elation. It was a massively, massively important win for us.’

Quirke will have to ring the changes for Tuesday’s Wessex trip to Hamble Club. Due to services commitments, he will be without his son Cameron, Shawn Benjamin and Holmes from the starting XI against Poppies.

In addition, goalkeeper Owen Craig is absent as he is on a services training course in Cornwall. That means a recall for Charlie Shepherd.

SEE MORE: 36 Portsmouth area youth football team photos from 2012-2013

*Horndean returned to Five Heads Park after a near two-month absence with victory over Hythe & Dibden.

Zack Willett and Ben Anderson struck in each half in a 2-1 victory, with Craig Feeney setting up a tense finale with a 77th minute consolation.

Deans’ previous home game had been on December 6 against Fareham Town.

The win avenged a 1-0 loss at Hythe in early September - one of just two Horndean losses in the Premier Division all season.

‘We done ok,’ boss Michael Birmingham told The News. ‘That’s it, we done ok.

‘2-1 flattered Hythe, we could have won by more. But we got the three points, that’s the most important thing.’

The Deans have now picked up six points out of six after the previous weekend’s 4-3 loss at Fareham, having won 3-0 at Pagham in midweek.

‘Again, we did what we had to,’ said Birmingham of the win in Sussex. ‘It was a job well done, that’s it.

‘That’s all I can say - we’re just trying to find our fluency again.’

Willett’s goal was his 21st in the league this season, with only Portchester’s Brett Pitman (32) ahead of him in the Premier scoring stakes.

Next up for Horndean is a home PO postcode derby with Baffins Milton Rovers on Tuesday.