‘It’s feet firmly on the ground’ – Gosport Borough maintain 100 per cent start to Southern League Premier South campaign

Harvey Rew scored twice as Gosport defeated Basingstoke Town 4-1. Picture by Tom Phillips

Trailing at the interval, Boro hit back to run out 4-1 winners against Basingstoke Town at Privett Park on Wednesday.

After just three rounds of games in the seventh tier season, they are one of only two clubs - table-topping Merthyr are the other - to boast a 100 per cent record.

Joe Lea admits it’s been a superb start to the season for himself and fellow co-boss Pat Suraci following their summer arrival from Petersfield Town.

But he told The News: ‘It’s feet firmly on the ground.

‘We’re not going to get carried away, I don’t think anybody will.

‘People might look at the scoreline and think 4-1 was comfortable, but it wasn’t. 4-1 flattered us - we were lucky to just be 1-0 down at half-time.’

Boro made four changes to the starting XI on duty in last weekend’s 2-0 victory at Plymouth Parkway.

Former Pompey midfielder Danny Hollands was injured, having been taken to hospital with a leg injury following a bad challenge.

The other changes were made in a bid to ‘freshen’ up the side, with one eye also on this Saturday’s trip to Swindon Supermarine.

‘It’s a long season, there’s 42 league games and it’s a physical league,’ declared Lea.

‘It’s really important we use the squad. Everyone here is capable of starting games in the Southern League. That was shown on Wednesday.’

Zak Sharp, Alex Barsa, Harvey Laidlaw and Jon Efedje were all brought into the starting XI against Basingstoke.

Rafa Ramos, one of the players to make way from the weekend starting XI, was introduced early in the second half with Basingstoke still leading.

Dan Wooden levelled shortly after, from a great Harry Kavanagh cross, and Harvey Rew fired Boro ahead.

Kavanagh added a third late on and there was still time for Rew to grab his second.

‘There were a couple of tactical tweaks at half-time,’ said Lea.

‘We had been too open in the first half, we just needed to play better in the second half. We were the better team comfortably in the second half.’

Hollands is rated ‘very unlikely’ to be fit for the trip to face a Supermarine side who are one of three clubs in the division still searching for their first point.

Rory Williams is also a doubt with a hamstring niggle.

Elsewhere in the Premier South on Wednesday, a goal from Jake Scrimshaw gave promoted AFC Totton victory over Poole in a game watched by a crowd of over 1,300.

The Dorset club ended with 10 men after former Pompey and Hawks midfielder Wes Fogden was sent off late on.

Ex-Hawks striker Scott Rendell had seen a first half penalty saved by Poole’s Luke Cairney.