Paulsgrove delight as they deliver a big win for young Josh Miroy

Wayne Grant spoke of his delight as Paulsgrove delivered a victory for young Josh Miroy at the weekend.
Josh Miroy, 17, was named on the Paulsgrove team sheet for the weekend win against Sway, with his picture and shirt in the home club's dressing room.Josh Miroy, 17, was named on the Paulsgrove team sheet for the weekend win against Sway, with his picture and shirt in the home club's dressing room.
Josh Miroy, 17, was named on the Paulsgrove team sheet for the weekend win against Sway, with his picture and shirt in the home club's dressing room.

Grove ran out 6-2 Hampshire Premier League Senior Division winners against Sway to leave them as the only team in either division with a 100 per cent record.

But, more importantly for Grant, it was about putting on a performance for squad member Miroy.

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The 17-year-old remains in hospital after suffering a suspected heart attack while playing for AFC Portchester Reserves in a Portsmouth Sunday League game earlier this month.

It was the first time Paulsgrove had played since the emergency.

Grove named Josh on the team sheet as 12th man, with his shirt and picture up in the dressing room as a gesture to show support.

‘It was probably the easiest team talk I’ve ever had to give in my life,' said Grant.

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‘We named Josh as the 12th man with his picture up and his shirt, he was actually on the team sheet.

‘I just said to the lads, ‘this is what we’re playing for, get out there and do the business’ - that was it.

‘There were no other words needed, that was it.

'It couldn’t have gone better, we played some lovely stuff.

‘The first-half performance was the best we’ve played all season to be fair.'

Grant admits Grove’s storming start counts for very little this early in the season.

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And is wary of the test his team will face at an improved Locks Heath on Wednesday (7.30pm).

‘I’m not really a stats man, it counts for nothing this early,’ Grant said.

‘If we can go unbeaten for 15 games then I’ll start getting a bit more excited.

‘At the moment it’s just points on the board.

‘They’re a lot stronger this year then what they were last year.’

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Danny Lane leapt to the top of the HPL top flight goal charts with a four-goal haul against Sway.

The striker now has nine goals from just four starts, having hit a hat-trick in a 5-1 home win against Liss as well.

Michael Essai and Shane Cornish were also on target for a Grove side who have netted 21 times in their four matches.

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Jon Whitfield is confident Locks Heath can learn from their mistakes and show they can compete with the best in the Hampshire League Premier Senior Division when they host Paulsgrove on Wednesday.

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Heath face a tough test as they welcome the only team in the HPL with a 100 per cent.

But assistant manager Whitfield, whose side recorded a 3-0 win at Liss at the weekend, believes his squad can match any team in the division on their day.

And he is eager for Locks to prove they can do just that after failing to do so against another potential title challenger, Bush Hill, earlier this month.

‘We went to Bush Hill and wanted to see how far we’d come and where we are, and (we) didn’t turn up,' conceded Whitfield.

‘We’re not going to make that mistake against Paulsgrove.

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‘We’ll be in for a similar sort of battle against a similar team.

‘We need to turn up this time and not allow ourselves to be rolled over and beaten.

‘We know what to expect from a Paulsgrove team.

‘They like to play football, they’re going to be a good team, strong, they’re going to battle.

‘You always know you’re going to be in for a tough game against Paulsgrove.

‘We’ll pick our squad based on what we need for this game.

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‘We’ve got a big squad, we’re leaving five or six players out each week.

‘We know it’s going to be a tough one.

‘We’ll have to be at a 100 per cent playing our best in order to get anything.'

Ex-US Portsmouth forward Joe Boggild netted his third goal in three starts at Liss, with sub Jordan Whiteley and Ben Chambers also scoring.

Should Locks win on Wednesday, it would be their fourth success in seven games - and would equal last season’s total wins from 24 league outings!