Gosport Borough boss Shaun Gale rues lack of experience once again in stoppage time Southern League loss at Beaconsfield

Leading 2-0 at the interval due to a Billie Busari leveller, Boro crashed to a 3-2 Premier South loss at Beaconsfield.

Boro conceded a 90th minute leveller before Beaconsfield scored their winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time with virtually the last kick of the game.

It was Gosport’s eighth loss in 10 league games, a dire run which has seen them collect just four points out of a possible 30.

In two of those games - at Beaconsfield and Hayes & Yeading - Gale’s men have contrived to lose after leading 2-0.

In all competitions, Boro have now lost eight away games in a row - including cup exits to lower division pair Paulton Rovers and Bristol Manor Farm.

Gale suffered a double pre-match blow, losing on-loan Hawks centre half Sam Magri and Hungerford loanee midfielder Reece Wylie.

Magri suffered a knee injury in training last Thursday while Wylie has told Gale he is struggling to commit to the necessary travelling due to his work commitments.

With Danny Hollands and Harvey Rew suspended, Gale fielded a midfield trio of Pompey loanee Harry Jewitt-White, Brad Tarbuck and Izzy Kaba.

‘Only Harry’s a natural midfielder of those three,’ explained Gale. ‘It’s a case of square pegs in round holes.’

Leading 2-1 with 15 minutes to go, Gale had to take off two senior players - striker Dan Wooden and winger Abdulai Baggie - and replace them with youngsters Tommy Higgs and Kyal Williams.

Having already used 18-year-old defender Finn Walsh-Smith, Gale’s other two bench options were 17-year-old Dylan Holgate and 16-year-old Ollie O’Mahoney.

‘I’m sick and tired of saying the same things every week,’ Gale stated. ‘You can only work with what you’ve got and we’ve got youngsters who aren’t ready for men’s football.

‘If we’d kept the starting XI on the pitch for 90 minutes, I’m sure we’d have won. But Dan Wooden hadn’t trained all week, he could hardly walk last Monday with a groin problem, he gave me 75 minutes and couldn’t give any more - same with Baggie.

‘It’s frustrating, massively frustrating. All the hard work we’ve put in is being slowly chipped away.

‘People will look at results and blame so, but I’m not out there heading the ball away. The keyboard warriors don’t look at the bigger picture.

‘I’ve got broad shoulders, I don’t care what people are saying, I only care about Gosport Borough Football Club.

‘I spoke to a pro club this morning (Sunday) and was offered an 18-year-old who’s never played men’s football. We’ve got enough of those.

‘We need senior players, senior winners, people like Mike Carter (former Gosport skipper who is now at AFC Totton). If we’d had players like Mike (at Beaconsfield) I don’t think we’d have lost.’

A Busari double, including a penalty, had put Boro in command at a ground where they had crashed 7-2 last season.

But Beaconsfield were handed a lifeline five minutes into the second half through Nathan Minhas.

‘Dan Wooden was clattered on the halfway line trying to play Harry Jewitt-White through,’ said Gale. ‘Their lad nicked it off Harry’s toe and they go down the other end and score.

‘It should have been our free-kick, but instead they get a goal and a lift.

‘Leading up to their equaliser, Ryan Woodford has been pushed off the ball with both hands. Then they score a third from a long goal kick, a ridiculous goal to concede.

‘We deserved more than we got.’

Boro have now slumped into the bottom seven after just one league win - against rock bottom North Leigh - since the end of August.

They are six points ahead of second bottom Yate, who have two games in hand, and have slipped 10 points adrift of a play-off place they were targeting at the start of the campaign.