Gosport Borough mix things up and progress into Portsmouth Senior Cup quarter-finals with comfortable AFC Portchester victory

Mason Walsh and substitute Bradley Lethbridge both netted twice as Southern League Premier South side Boro were largely comfortable at their two-divisions lower opposition in the second round tie.

Gale used the cup clash to hand a first start to recent addition Seok-Jae Lee while midfielder Billie Busari got through the full 90 minutes.

First-team regulars teenager Harvey Rew, experienced Ryan Woodford, Bedsente Gomis and Mason Walsh were also involved at the Royals in what was a mixed Gosport team.

And Gale felt it was a beneficial evening to have a look at some of those on the fringes of his squad while also reaching the last-eight of the competition.

The Boro boss said: ‘It was a worthwhile exercise for us. The most important thing was coming through without any injuries and looking to Saturday now.

‘I don't want to lose any games, I don't care whether they're training or whatever, I don't want to lose. They serve a purpose.

‘We picked a team for people who needed minutes and needed to play. It was a good performance. It's hard because you're chucking a team together, really.

‘I just thought if we'd have been ruthless in the first half, like we were in the second half - it's not about winning eight or nine - it's about being ruthless and doing things properly.

‘It's like an extension of a training exercise, you get in good areas - we had some good opportunities first half but we wasted them.’

Walsh capitalised on Jake Raine's misplaced third minute pass, driving forward with the ball, before brilliantly curling past the onrushing Steve Mowthorpe as Boro made the perfect start.

Lively Walsh was then guilty of a big miss, firing straight at Mowthorpe, having pounced to snatch possession off former Gosport man Sam Pearce on 27 minutes.

Portchester ended the half the stronger, though, with Marley Ridge firing over and George Barker's clever cut inside and deflected shot going just wide.

A brilliant move saw Boro double their advantage 10 minutes after the restart. Lee surged forward, slipped in Billie Busari whose square pass put it on a plate for the easiest of finishes for Walsh.

Lethbridge, introduced on 59 minutes, netted just four minutes later as he prodded home from close range after reacting quickest to Jake Wright's lobbed effort which came back out off the post.

Striker Lethbridge grabbed his second, this time keeping his composure to slot past Mowthorpe, to round off the scoring and wrap up a 4-0 Boro win after 71 minutes.

AFC Portchester: Mowthorpe; Sharp, DaCosta, Pearce, Bailey, Ramsey, Raine, Ridge, Aston, Greenough, Barker. Subs: King (Barker, 45), Bello (DaCosta, 78), Complin, Paice, Poate.

Gosport Borough: Grant; Hughes, Woodford, Casey, Rew, Gomis, Wheeler, Busari, Lee, Walsh, Paterson. Subs: Lethbridge (Paterson, 59), Wright (Walsh, 63), Briggs (Lee, 75), Tarbuck, Kavanagh.