Gosport Borough boss Gale: No qualms about playing teenage defender Walsh-Smith in Southern League

Finlay Walsh-Smith impressed Gosport boss Shaun Gale after coming on as a sub against AFC Totton. Picture: Tom Phillips

The 17-year-old centre half was handed his first team debut on Wednesday as a second half sub for Matt Briggs in a 2-1 Hampshire Senior Cup loss to lower tier AFC Totton.

Gale was impressed with the youngster, and if needed will play him in Saturday’s home Southern League Premier South game with Dorchester Town.

Briggs had been unwell in the build-up to the cup tie and, said Gale, shouldn’t really have played. The same went for captain Mike Carter, who was taken off inside the opening 10 minutes due to injury.

‘I will have no qualms about playing Finn if I have to,’ Gale remarked. ‘There’s no point having these youngsters at the club if you can’t play them. He was fantastic against Totton.’

Several Southern League regulars - Bert White, Ryan Woodford, Josh Huggins, Dan Wooden and Luke Hallett - were given the night off against Totton.

Strikers Matt Paterson and Brad Lethbridge - both in need of minutes - started up top while Ellis Grant replaced White in goal.

‘There were players I didn’t want to play (against Totton) but I had to,’ said Gale. ‘The injury and illness we’ve got is frightening.

‘I put out the best side I had, even though there were half-fit players in there.’

Dorchester’s visit is the latest in a series of home league games for third-placed Gosport against sides in the bottom half of the table.

The Magpies have improved under new boss Glenn Howes, winning their last three home matches including last weekend’s 3-1 success against Harrow Borough.

Away from home, though, they have only scored one goal and collected one point in their last five games.

Former Pompey youngster Alfie Stanley netted a hat-trick when Dorchester last won away in the league - at Tiverton in October - while Kieran Roberts could also be in the squad against Gosport. The former Portchester striker missed the win against Harrow with a knee injury.

‘If we have to play a young side with some experienced heads, so be it,’ Gale stated. ‘That would give us the enthusiasm and the energy we had (in the 2-2 draw) at Tiverton (last Saturday). We had pace and power up front and we were unlucky not to win.’

Carter starts a suspension against Dorchester following his red card at Tiverton.