Lowest career playing point to reaching superb AFC Portchester personal achievement - it's all in a week's work for former Hawks and Gosport midfielder Steve Ramsey

Steve Ramsey picked himself up from one of the ‘lowest moments’ of his playing career to achieve a fine personal club feat as AFC Portchester produced a superb team performance to dismantle Shaftesbury - all of which would arrive in the space of just five whirlwind days.
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Certainly, it proved to be the perfect way to mark reaching a significant personal Portchester milestone for the former Pompey youth player and Hawks and Gosport Borough midfielder.

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And it couldn't have arrived at a more suitable time for Ramsey, who had experienced one of his career lows on a football field in the game prior to the superb demolition of Shaftesbury.

The Portchester skipper had missed a glorious chance with the goal at his mercy before seeing a second-half penalty saved by Henry Woodcock as the Royals suffered a semi-final League Cup defeat at arch-rivals in an 'El-Creekio' derby last midweek.

With Ramsey offering an insight into the contrasting mix of emotions he felt over the space of just a few days as he clocked up his 250th club outing.

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‘That was probably my lowest point playing-wise after that game (semi-final defeat to Fareham Town).

Captain Steve Ramsey has now reached 250 appearances for AFC Portchester since arriving at the club seven seasons ago Picture: Neil Marshall (180728)Captain Steve Ramsey has now reached 250 appearances for AFC Portchester since arriving at the club seven seasons ago Picture: Neil Marshall (180728)
Captain Steve Ramsey has now reached 250 appearances for AFC Portchester since arriving at the club seven seasons ago Picture: Neil Marshall (180728)

‘I missed basically an open-goal in the first-half, which I don't know how that happened, then obviously the penalty (he had saved), so I didn't have the best game. I was a bit down after that, to be honest, I didn't get a wink of sleep that night laying in bed! I was just so gutted (after the Fareham defeat).’

But he quickly managed to turn those down feelings around as Portchester travelled to Shaftesbury on a special personal occasion.

Ramsey continued: ‘It couldn't have gone any better (reaching 250 club games with Shaftesbury win). It was a tough game so I thought it could end quite badly, but it was alright.

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‘I didn't expect it obviously when I first came (getting to 250 games), but it's good to get there. It was a proud moment for me personally, when I was playing everyone showed me a load of support as well, I've had loads of messages and stuff which is a great feeling. It's been brilliant, to be fair, at Portchy.’

Steve Ramsey moved to AFC Portchester from Gosport Borough in 2015 Picture: Keith Woodland (211219-219)Steve Ramsey moved to AFC Portchester from Gosport Borough in 2015 Picture: Keith Woodland (211219-219)
Steve Ramsey moved to AFC Portchester from Gosport Borough in 2015 Picture: Keith Woodland (211219-219)

Ramsey, who is currently in his seventh season with the club after arriving from then-National League South Gosport Borough in 2015, has featured 34 times for Dave Carter's side this term, netting four goals and has struck 74 in total during his current seven-year stay.

The midfielder revealed he has been playing on with injury issues for the best part of the past 'six months' but says he's ready to play on next season having initially contemplated retiring at the end of the current campaign.

Ramsey added: ‘I'm going to have a sit down in the summer. This year has been tough for me, really, I keep getting niggly injuries and it's just been hard for me. Getting going, getting injured again, trying to get my fitness back - I've been playing with injuries for about six months probably, so it hasn't really been too enjoyable.

‘Potentially (playing on for another season). I'm going to have a sit down (in the summer), I just need to get myself properly fit, then give it a good go.’

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