Former Portsmouth striker Brett Pitman takes AFC Portchester goal tally to 28 with four-goal burst in 8-1 Wessex thrashing of Alresford

The former Pompey star followed up the previous Saturday’s hat-trick at Portland with four goals in an 8-1 demolition of Wessex League Premier Division cellar dwellers Alresford.

Having also netted in the 5-0 midweek league win over Bournemouth Poppies, that made it eight goals in as many days for Pitman.

The 34-year-old has now belted a stunning 28 league and cup goals in only 18 starts for the Royals. Of those, 14 have come in his last six matches.

The last three arrived as part of a second-half goal rush after Alresford - who arrived at the table-toppers having lost 12 league games in a row - had grabbed a 47th minute equaliser.

Pitman’s 58th minute penalty, to restore the lead he had given the Royals in the first half, started a rush of seven goals in 32 minutes.

Strike partner Harrison Brook netted twice and sub Scott Jones also collected a brace, his first goals for the club.

It could easily have been more - Brook seeing a shot hit the bar and bounce down, the fans nearby adamant the ball had crossed the line.

‘Brett probably should have had eight,’ stated Royals boss Dave Carter after his side marched eight points clear at the top thanks to a late Horndean leveller at second-placed Bemerton.

‘We stepped it up after their goal,’ Carter added. ‘We started moving the ball a bit quicker. Our quality shone through - we ended up looking like we would score every time we attacked.

‘It’s not all about Brett - a lot of the other lads are playing well. A lot of Brett’s goals are put on a plate for him, but what he does do is score goals at important times.

‘He’s never going to run in behind defences, his movement in the box is brilliant - that’s what he does. His movement to pull away from defenders is fantastic.’

Pitman now has 22 Wessex Premier games in 14 starts, and has only failed to score in one of those games - against Bemerton.

He is seven goals clear in the race to finish as the Wessex Premier’s leading scorer in terms of league goals only. Currently second is Bemerton’s Reece Rusher who scored his 15th of the season against Horndean from the penalty spot at the weekend.

If Pitman continued at his current scoring rate, and played in all 38 league games this season, he would end up with 60 goals.

That would set a new Wessex Premier record, which currently stands at the 55 goals Andy Forbes netted for Winchester City in 2003/04.

Alresford were the second club this season to be on the receiving end of a Pitman four-goal show – he had previously netted that many in another 8-1 win, an FA Vase success at lower tier East Cowes Vics.

Next up in the league for Portchester is a trip to Pagham next weekend. The Sussex club are currently second from bottom, with Saturday’s 6-1 hiding at Hamble their eighth successive league defeat.