Gosport boss Gale hails ‘ugly’ victory as injury-hit Boro leap to third in Southern League Premier South

Gosport boss Shaun Gale hailed an ‘ugly’ victory as injury-hit Borough moved up to third in the embryonic Southern League Premier South table.
Gosport celebrate Joe Lea's (10) second goal against Chesham. Picture: Tom PhillipsGosport celebrate Joe Lea's (10) second goal against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips
Gosport celebrate Joe Lea's (10) second goal against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips

The ultimately comfortable 3-0 success over Chesham United at Privett Park was the team’s third in the opening four games - the best start Gosport have made since returning to the seventh tier in 2017/18.

Joe Lea struck from close range in each half while Nick Dembele - the striker signed after playing AGAINST Borough in pre-season - added a late third.

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Though winning is everything, Gale confessed he didn’t really enjoy a game where Gosport produced flashes of lovely one-touch football in the opening half before two goals in the last 11 minutes gave the scoreline a slightly flattering feel.

Gosport skipper Josh Huggins in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom PhillipsGosport skipper Josh Huggins in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips
Gosport skipper Josh Huggins in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips

Still, given the players missing, a new-look Borough side - six of the starting XI against Chesham were close season arrivals with three more among the five subs - were still good value for their latest three points.

The visitors, who included ex-Gosport striker Lerone Plummer up front, rarely caused too many anxious moments for the home defence after Eoin Casey’s early shot had thudded against the crossbar.

‘They probably started a bit better, they hit the bar,’ said Gale. ‘They were very direct, they only really had one tactic, and I thought we dealt with that well.

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‘Bert (keeper Bert White) didn’t really have a shot to save in the entire game.

Gosport's Brad Tarbuck in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom PhillipsGosport's Brad Tarbuck in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips
Gosport's Brad Tarbuck in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips

‘It wasn’t really a good game for me. We will play a lot better this season and lose, for sure.

‘But we won ugly and we got the job done.

‘They tried to slow the game down, the first half was like a testimonial - me and Rixy (assistant Graham Rix) could have played! Then when we got the second goal they were complaining that we were slowing the game down …

‘They just looked to launch it and sometimes in games like that you can get sucked into doing the same. We did get sucked in at times, but when we got the ball down we carved them open.’

Gosport's Dan Wooden challenges for possession against Chesham. Picture: Tom PhillipsGosport's Dan Wooden challenges for possession against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips
Gosport's Dan Wooden challenges for possession against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips
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Gale added: ‘It’s about digging out results. In this league you need to be strong, you need to be organised and fit - we did a lot of work on that in pre-season.

We’ve got pace in good areas, we’ve got ability in good areas, and we’re a big side - we’ve worked hard on set pieces in both areas.’

Borough’s good start has come against a backdrop of injuries.

Four of Gale’s most experienced men - Mike Carter, Ryan Woodford, Matt Paterson and Rory Williams - have not played a competitive game in 2021/22.

Gosport's two-goal midfielder Joe Lea in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom PhillipsGosport's two-goal midfielder Joe Lea in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips
Gosport's two-goal midfielder Joe Lea in action against Chesham. Picture: Tom Phillips
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In addition, neither has ex-Pompey striker Brad Lethbridge while another former Fratton Park youngster, Harry Kavanagh, suffered a broken collarbone in the thrilling opening day success against Poole Town.

Against Chesham, Harvey Rew was at left-back while another 18-year-old, Forest Green loanee Luke Hallet, came on as a second half sub. A third teenager, Jake Wright - signed from Wessex League Division 1 club Newport IoW - was an unused sub having made his debut off the bench in the previous week’s win at Weston.

‘We’re having to play 18-year-old kids because of where we’re at,’ said Gale.

‘We have experienced players missing, and no disrespect to the players that have been playing but these are players that would normally start.

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‘Ryan Woodford has been ill for 10 days, he’s only done a couple of training sessions and needs to get match-fit.

‘Rory Williams has a bad groin injury, you’re looking at a couple of weeks.

‘Matt Paterson needs an op, you’re looking at the end of October after he has surgery.

‘Mike Carter’s got a bad case of knee bone bruising, that just needs time.

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‘Harry Kavanagh’s had an op on his broken collarbone, so you’re looking at six to eight weeks there.

‘Bradley Lethbridge needs to get fitter, but he’s also got an ankle problem so, again, a couple more weeks.’

The flipside to all that are chances for other players to step up and give Gale food for thought.

‘Josh Huggins has been amazing, he played in about three different positions in pre-season, and he’s a winner. Him and Matt Briggs have looked solid at the back, said the boss.

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‘Joe Lea played the first two games at right back but then we switched Elliott Wheeler there to give us a bit more experience.’

As a result of that tactical change, Pat Suraci was dropped to the bench at Weston after starting the first two matches against Poole and Walton.

‘Pat’s been unlucky. He came on at Weston and won us the game, but I think if he had started (against Chesham) he wouldn’t have had the same time on the ball he did get. Sometimes it’s difficult to explain it to the players.

‘Pat’s got unbelievable ability and he tied them (Chesham) in knots when he came on.

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‘Nick Dembele’s come in and he’s brought something totally different.

‘He played against us for Hungerford in a friendly, but Danny (Robinson, Hungerford boss) told me afterwards they’ve got enough strikers.

‘He (Dembele) is a bit off the cuff at times - I know that’s an interesting thing to say about someone but I don’t think the opposition know what he will do at times.

‘But he’s come in, worked hard and he deserved his goal.

‘This is what you want - you want players giving you (selection) problems as a manager.’

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Lea is a doubt for Monday’s trip to Hartley Wintney due to the injury picked up in stoppage time against Chesham - a late tackle from sub Deese Kasinga that would have no doubt have brought a red card from some referees. As it was, Lewis Sandoe didn’t even book him.

‘It was a naughty tackle, a leg-breaking tackle,’ fumed Gale.

‘I was the only person to get booked for comments I made to the linesman, and I didn’t even swear.

‘I wouldn’t want my players making tackles that week, and I will stand up for my players if they get tackled like that.’

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Apart from the result, one other pleasing aspect to the afternoon for Borough chairman Iain McInnes was the attendance.

Writing in the programme, the former Pompey chief said bigger crowds were a priority if ‘we’re to maintain our competitiveness in this division.’

After 429 had watched the curtain-raising win over Poole, a crowd of 496 was at Privett Park to see Chesham sent back to Buckinghamshire pointless.

That was bigger than any of the three home league attendances at the ground in the pandemic-wrecked 2020/21 season.

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In fact, it was the biggest league gate at Privett Park since 622 saw the final game of the 2018/19 campaign - a 1-0 win over Wimborne that saw Borough safe from relegation.

Next up for Gosport - who certainly have different priorities now compared to two and a half years ago - is a bank holiday Monday trip to north Hampshire to face Hartley Wintney.

Gale is not expecting a feast of football.

‘It will be a scrap. No disrespect to them, but they play a certain way. We will have to be prepared for a battle - similar to the Chesham game - and then hope our better players can outclass theirs.’

Gale reported Huggins also got a knock against Chesham. Ex-Pompey defender Matt Casey - a late sub on Saturday - would be in line for a start if Huggins, who was captain at the weekend and one of his side’s stand-out performers, is ruled out.