Former Portsmouth striker Brad Lethbridge signs for Baffins – his sixth non-league club in three seasons

The striker has dual signed for Baffins Milton Rovers - his sixth club since being released from Fratton Park in the summer of 2020.

Lethbridge, who turned 22 last month, goes straight into the Rovers squad for Tuesday’s home Wessex League derby with US Portsmouth.

Baffins are his third Wessex Premier club of 2022/23, having already turned out for Horndean (two sub appearances) and Pagham (three starts) while dual signed from Bognor Regis Town.

Currently in his second spell with Rocks, whom he joined after leaving Pompey, Lethbridge has made 11 starts and nine sub outings for Bognor this season, without scoring.

The player spent last season at home-town club Gosport Borough, but also made 12 appearances (nine of them off the bench) for Wessex League club AFC Portchester.

Baffins boss Danny Thompson swooped for Lethbridge – whose sole goal for Pompey’s first team came in an EFL Trophy tie at Oxford United in 2019/20 - after being left short of numbers up front.

Top scorer Tom Vincent faces weeks on the sidelines after suffering facial injuries in a recent home loss to Bemerton Heath. Vincent is due to undergo an operation on his fractured cheekbone today.

In addition, Jason Parish is serving a three-game ban - the second of which is against US Portsmouth - for his red card against Bemerton.

‘We needed to bring someone in to replace them,’ Thompson told The News. ‘I knew Brad hasn’t been playing much for Bognor and they were happy for him to sign for us.

‘We’ll be able to give him some game time to get his sharpness back, so it works for all parties.’

Baffins have a busy fixture list, with at least nine midweek games left to play - including a Wessex League Cup semi-final against opposition yet to be confirmed.

Thompson has squad selection headaches for the US Portsmouth game, as Tom Dinsmore and Dillon North both played an hour for Steve Ledger’s reserves at the weekend. And both were on the scoresheet as Baffins romped to a 6-0 win over Locks Heath in the Hampshire Combination East Division.

North has only recently returned to action following an early-season shoulder injury, while Dinsmore - who was at USP last term - has recovered from a knee problem.

Midfielder Arty Kerton is another who could feature after making his debut as a late sub in Saturday’s 2-1 league loss at Hythe & Dibden.

Kerton, who can also play right-back, also spent time in the Pompey Academy before spells with Wessex League pair AFC Stoneham and Horndean last season. This term he has made 16 starts plus seven off the bench for Fareham.

Thompson is good friends with Kerton’s dad Neil, having played alongside him during their youth careers at Gosport Borough.