‘Masters of our own downfall’ – Gosport Borough miss two penalties and have former Portsmouth midfielder Danny Hollands sent off in Southern League home defeat to Yate

On a miserable day, Boro missed two penalties - Martin Horsell twice saving - and had former Pompey midfielder Danny Hollands sent off.

Director of football Mark Molesley was also dismissed - for the first time in his managerial career - for foul and abusive language following Hollands’ second half dismissal.

It was Hollands’ second red card of the Southern League campaign, having previously been sent off at Hendon at the end of October.

Gosport’s fifth home league defeat of 2022/23 has left them three places and two points above the four-team relegation zone, with clubs below them having games in hand.

‘It was a bad day at the office for us,’ stated Molesley. ‘Nothing went right.

‘We were masters of our own downfall and we have to better, myself included.

‘I questioned the referee’s decision to send Danny Hollands off. He’d cleared the ball, it had gone 20 yards, before there was a coming together of players.

‘I felt it should have been a free-kick to us, and I was a bit too aggressive in my pleas to the referee.’

Matt Briggs was fit enough to be recalled to the starting XI, for the first time since Molesley arrived at Privett Park in early December.

Brett Williams was also back, after missing the 2-2 draw with Winchester on New Year’s Day, but top scorer Dan Wooden was missing due to a rib injury.

Boro wasted a chance to take the lead when Harvey Rew was fouled, but Williams’ spot-kick was saved by Horsell.

Kyle Tooze, who had started pre-season with AFC Portchester, had netted twice in Yate’s 5-4 home win over Gosport in November. And he was on hand again to break the deadlock in the 52nd minute.

Gosport won a second penalty when Horsell could only parry a Rew shot and brought down Williams as he was about to collect the rebound. This time, though, Abdulai Baggie saw his effort saved by the Bluebells keeper.

Boro were then reduced to 10 men on the hour mark when Hollands was dismissed.

‘We have to show more quality and intent,’ Molesley told Boro’s YouTube channel.

‘We are at a bit of a crossroads. We have to improve and grow but the players are a bit fearful of committing to the process. It’s never going to be easy, it’s always going to be tough.

‘We’re missing a bit of belief and confidence in yourselves.

‘It’s now we’ll find out about the group, find out about their character.

‘You can’t feel sorry for yourselves, the only way we’ll get out of this is to work harder.

‘The players have to stand up and be counted, and if they can’t we’ll need to find some who will stand up and be counted.

‘We can’t sleepwalk our way through this, we’ve got to find a way to win football matches.’