Molyneaux hails Gosport’s late,late show as Borough collect second successive home Southern League win

In a wind-affected contest, goals from Matt Paterson and Bournemouth loanee Tyrell Skeen-Hamilton in the final six minutes gave Borough the verdict.

Manager Lee Molyneaux praised the fighting spirit of his side who kept going right to the end.

'With the gale force wind blowing straight down the pitch, it was literally a game of two halves,' he said.

'Playing against it in the first half we found it hard to get out of our own territory.

'Goal-kicks were hardly clearing the 18-yard area.

'We had to dig in and defended well to go in 0-0 at half-time.

'In the second half we launched wave after wave of attack but couldn't get the ball in the net.

'Pushing forward we left ourselves exposed and they hit us on the counter-attack to score.

'We knew that if we kept knocking on the door that it would come and that is what eventually happened.

'It was good to have the boot on the other foot for once.

'In the first half of the season it was a game that we wouldn't have won and might easily have lost.

'It was good to see the players were not prepared to accept anything other than the win.

'Although we left it very late, we thoroughly deserved to win it.'

In the first half chances were few and far between.

After the break, Rory Williams saw his right-foot volley well saved by the visiting goalkeeper before Casuals took a 78th minute lead against the run of play.

A breakaway ended with a ball across the face of Borough's goal and Cole Brown converted at the far post.

Borough's response was almost immediate and within six minutes they were level.

A Josh Huggins strike came back off the post and, when substitute Williams crossed, Paterson poked the ball in.

In the second minute of stoppage-time Skeen-Hamilton smashed the ball in from point-blank-range with Paterson claiming his header had already crossed the line.

Gosport are now just five points behind fifth-placed Taunton, who hold the final play-off place, but have played three more games.

In addition, Poole and Salisbury - the two clubs immediately below Borough - have numerous games in hand.

'Two consecutive home wins have restored a lot of belief,' said Molyneaux.

'We know that we have played more games than the teams around us but all we can do is try to keep winning.

'It will be tough at (leaders) Chesham next weekend but now we can go there with a bit more confidence.'