‘He will be a big loss on and off the pitch’ – Wessex League strugglers US Portsmouth lose one of their most consistent performers

Defender John Cass has informed him that he needs to take a break from football while he prioritises his work commitments.

Cass has started 10 of USP’s 14 league and cup fixtures in 2022/23, with only goalkeeper Charlie Shepherd (11) starting more.

Cass was at left back yesterday when USP took the lead against AFC Stoneham in their Wessex Premier home fixture.

But Stoneham, who had routed USP 6-1 in the FA Vase the previous week, hit back to run out 4-1 winners.

It was a seventh successive defeat for Quirke’s men, a run including four Premier losses and exits in the Hampshire Senior Cup, FA Vase and Portsmouth Senior Cup.

USP are fourth bottom of the Premier, a point ahead of Laverstock & Ford having played two games more.

‘John’s just set up his own business and he told me he needs to concentrate on that for a few months,’ said Quirke. ‘That’s absolutely fair enough - the lads have to work.

‘He will be a big miss, on and off the pitch, but it gives an opportunity to someone else.’

Luke Richards - with his third goal in as many games - fired USP into the lead against Stoneham, who levelled before the interval.

‘I was really, really pleased with the first half performance that we delivered,’ said Quirke. ‘It wasn’t a 4-1 game, but the second half cost us for sure.

‘We need to learn from this, we have to be smarter - we need to be able to slow games down, kill teams off, when we get ahead in games.’

After Richards’ goal, USP could have been 2-0 up inside the opening quarter but Cameron Quirke, presented with a great opening by Kelvin Mathie, saw his shot blocked by a covering defender.

USP now bid to avoid another cup exit when they travel to lower division Petersfield Town in the Wessex League Cup on Tuesday.

The Rams defeated Amesbury 2-1 away in a Wessex Division 1 fixture yesterday, a game that marked the debut of on loan AFC Portchester striker Archie Greenough.

Next up for USP in the league, meanwhile, is a Portsea Island derby with Moneyfields at the Victory Stadium next Saturday.