Gosport Borough staying put in Southern League Premier South for at least another season as promotion-chasing Weston-super-Mare dash play-off possibility

Boro's 3-1 home defeat at the hands of fifth-placed Weston leaves them 12 points off the play-off positions - in ninth - with only three games left to play this season.

A run of just one victory in their previous eight league fixtures has seen them fall short in the final knockings of the campaign in their quest to achieve the open season starting target of a top-five finish.

Yet despite what is sure to be a disappointment for both the Gosport coaching staff and players, Gale is remaining upbeat, insisting there are positives to take from a campaign where they've been ‘competitive’.

He said: ‘We're bitterly disappointed. There's always an aim when you start a season, you have goals, to not achieve that by not getting into the play-offs is obviously bitterly disappointing. The players are disappointed just as much as the staff are.

‘I think you have to be realistic, it's the first full season in the past three years because of lockdown - I'm never one for excuses - there are key factors which we need to learn from this season.

‘For me, the main thing is we haven't had enough senior players enough on the pitch - not because they've not wanted to - simply because they've had injuries.

‘Mike Carter - he was fantastic for us again yesterday - he's been a big miss at times. Ryan Woodford has missed eight games through suspension, Matt Briggs, Matt Paterson - the list is endless with senior players - Bradley Tarbuck.’

In what was a must-win game for Boro in order to keep their fading play-off ambitions alive, Weston were ahead 10 minutes before the break with Sonny Cox getting the opener.

Gosport were then dealt another blow right on the stroke of half-time as Marlon Jackson superbly fired past on-loan Brighton goalkeeper Fynn Talley.

The hosts had a lifeline just eight minutes after the restart with Matt Paterson on hand to fire home but Jackson struck again on 64 minutes to make sure of Weston's win as they sealed a 3-1 success.

Gale assessed: ‘Yesterday (against Weston), I think we created more chances than the past few games, we played a different way, we could have been 1-0 up but for their keeper making a fantastic save. We went 1-0 down to a poor goal on our behalf, then 2-0 down before half-time, that was the sucker-punch, really.’