Gosport Borough boss seething after '˜kick in the guts'

Alex Pike was left fuming as a late goal condemned Gosport Borough to their first National League South home defeat of the season.
Josh Carmichael tackles a Bishop's Stortford rival as Alex Pike looks on. Picture: Habibur RahmanJosh Carmichael tackles a Bishop's Stortford rival as Alex Pike looks on. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Josh Carmichael tackles a Bishop's Stortford rival as Alex Pike looks on. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Bishop’s Stortford struck two minutes into stoppage-time to win 1-0 at Privett Park.

The goal came from a free-kick the Borough manager felt should never have been awarded.

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When Pike made his feelings clear to referee Paul Howard from the dugout he was banished to the stands for the closing seconds.

The Borough boss is looking for his troops to repair some of the damage by winning at struggling Oxford City today (3pm).

‘It is a sickener to lose like that,’ he said.

‘In the second half we dominated possession, created chances but just didn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

‘Then we get a decision which goes completely and utterly against us.

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‘Everyone in the ground could not believe it and they go and score from it with two minutes to go. It is a kick in the guts for us all.

‘We lost everything we worked so hard for.

‘Bishop’s Stortford have probably showed us just how to play away from home.’

Borough were slow starters on a muggy afternoon and keeper Marc Rice made a couple of early saves.

The post came to Borough’s rescue when a header from Bradley Woods-Garness beat Rice. But when Borough finally sparked into life they created chances of their own.

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Visiting keeper Joe Wright denied Warren Bentley in a one-on-one before pulling off a terrific save to deny Chris Flood.

Flood worked himself a position on the edge of the box and curled a superb shot towards the top corner.

The agile Wright got his fingertips to the ball and diverted it over the crossbar.

‘We should have done better in the first half with the chances we had,’ added Pike.

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‘In the second half we had more chances with Adam Wilde and Bentley both going one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

‘You end up wondering why we haven’t put the ball in the net.

‘In the end we paid the price for all our misses.’

With two minutes of the three added on gone, Tom Bird and a visiting forward both tumbled to the ground to the left of the Borough area.

The free-kick could have gone either way but the visitors were the ones to benefit.

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When the ball was curled in, Sam Smith got in front of Brett Poate and guided his header into the net.

‘We have got good players here but if we don’t hurry up and click then we will be in trouble,’ said Pike.

Gosport Borough: Rice, Cuthbertson, Bir, Carter, Poate, Oastler, Dawson, Harding (Wilde, 73min), Flood (Wright, 73min), Bentley, Carmichael (Wooden, 85min)