Former Portsmouth striker makes Horndean debut in Wessex League victory at Blackfield & Langley

The 21-year-old came on as a second half sub on a day when Zak Willett netted both goals in a 2-0 win at Gang Warily.

Lethbridge initially trained with the Deans squad a few weeks ago on the request of Bognor Regis boss Robbie Blake.

The forward joined the Rocks in the summer after spending last season at Southern League Premier South club Gosport Borough.

Lethbridge also had a loan spell at AFC Portchester, scoring twice in three starts and nine sub outings.

And he has returned to the Wessex League after Blake told Deans boss Michael Birmingham that the player was available to dual sign.

‘We will do what we can to help Bognor out and to help Brad Lethbridge out,’ said Birmingham.

‘He’s a good player, he can score goals. I know we have Zak Willett, Connor Duffin and Rudi Blankson, but at the moment we’re not getting goals from other areas and Brad can help us mix it up.

‘It’s good to have a player like that to create healthy competition.’

Lethbridge made three starts for Pompey in the EFL Trophy, scoring on his last appearance in a 2-2 draw at Oxford in the 2019/20 season.

Birmingham, meanwhile, was furious with the late tackle on defender Eddie Wakley - another ex-Fratton Park youngster - that saw Blackfield’s Harry Edmondson shown a straight red late on.

‘If Eddie hadn’t been in mid-air at the time it could have been career threatening,’ he stated. ‘I would be embarrassed if one of my players ever commits a foul like that, it was a disgusting tackle.’

Regarding the game itself, Birmingham said: ‘The pitch was rutty, very lively, it’s a place where you have to create your own atmosphere.

‘We didn’t play extremely well but we got the job done and got the three points.

‘We deserved to win, but were we two goals better? Possibly not.

‘I couldn’t see them scoring, they were very direct and Jocko (Cameron Scott) only had one save to make.’

Scott has now only conceded one goal in Horndean’s five league games so far, giving the club the best defensive record in the Wessex Premier.

The Deans travel to Southern League club Bashley in the second round of the Hampshire Senior Cup on Tuesday.