‘Outstanding’ Gosport Borough produce five-star home Southern League display against Plymouth Parkway

Boro maintained their 100 per cent seasonal home Southern League Premier South record with a 5-1 win over a newly-promoted Parkway side losing for the fourth game in a row.

Kyal Williams and Bradley Tarbuck (penalty) – both on as a sub - put the finishing touches to Gosport’s victory with stoppage time goals after Boro keeper Pat O’Flaherty had kept out Ben Seymour’s 84th minute penalty.

Jack Crago had given Parkway an early lead in front of a healthy Privett Park crowd of 690, with Dan Wooden heading the equaliser from Rory Williams’ cross.

A second half double from Matt Paterson - partnering Wooden up front with Harvey Bradbury starting a two-game ban for a late red card at Chesham the previous weekend - had put the hosts in control.

‘It was really good,’ declared Gale. ‘In the first half we were good, but in the second we were outstanding.

‘What made it even more pleasing was we had so many youngsters in the side.’

Indeed, Boro fielded a central defensive pairing of Finn Walsh-Smith, 17, and Eastleigh loanee Brendan Wilson, 18.

‘It’s extremely rare to see that,’ said Gale, who handed Walsh-Smith a first Gosport league start with Matt Briggs struggling with a groin problem.

‘We also had a 16-year-old, Dan Aitken, on the bench on merit - that’s very rare (at Gosport’s level).

‘It’s just that we have four central midfielders - Andreas Robinson, Danny Hollands, Harry Jewitt-White and Harvey Rew - with more experience.

‘But Dan will be a good player, if we can keep him - there’s pro clubs sniffing around already.’

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Robinson was handed his first competitive start against Parkway, with Hollands, 36, rested with the Bank Holiday Monday trip to Winchester City in mind.

‘I explained to Danny that it had nothing to do with form,’ revealed Gale. ‘It was just that I needed him for Monday. You can’t expect him to play two games in three days.

‘They wouldn’t play two games in three days in the Premier League, but we do at our level. It tests bodies, it’s a tall order - but we’re all in the same boat.’

Briggs comes back into contention for Gosport’s first league game against Winchester since 2008/09.

City have picked up five points from their first five games as a step 3 club following last season’s Division 1 South promotion via the play-offs.

‘They will do alright,’ said Gale. ‘They won’t be down around the bottom. It’s a derby, they will be up for it.’

Gosport will be aiming for their first away point of 2022/23 after losses at Weston-super-Mare (0-3) and Chesham (1-2).

‘They are two tough places to go - Weston are always up and around the top and Chesham are no mugs,’ stated Gale. ‘If we can’t transfer our home performances, we need to transfer our home results.

‘It’s important we start picking up points away.’