Picture gallery – AFC Portchester U18s v Moneyfields U18s, Hampshire Development East Division

After taking the lead at the On-Site Group Stadium through Sonny Gower, Moneys were handed a further boost when the hosts had a player sent off.

Kieran Hillier - who had started for a young Portchy side against National League South outfit Farnborough in the Hampshire Senior Cup the previous Tuesday - was dismissed for bringing down Max Allen.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, though, Portchy stormed back to lead 3-1 at half-time.

Allen and Robbie Davies pulled Moneys level before the Royals retook the lead from the penalty spot.

Gower, having scored the game’s opening goal, also had the final say - his 25-yarder ensuring honours ended even in the Hampshire Development U18 East fixture.

On target for Portchester were Blakeley Fairweather (2) and Owen O’Neil (2). Fairweather, who had hit a hat-trick in the previous U18 League win against Fareham and who also started against Farnborough in the HSC, now has 11 goals in 10 starts.

He is also the leading scorer for Portchester’s reserves in the Hampshire Combination East Division, with nine goals - including a hat-trick against Follands.

Moneys U18 boss Malcolm Close, meanwhile, was just pleased to have a squad to pick from again.

For the previous two Sundays, Moneys had been forced to concede cup ties against BCS United Hamworthy Recreation due to being unable to raise a team.

The first occasion was in the Hampshire FA Cup, and the second time in the Hampshire Development League Cup.

On both weekends Close was short of players due to a combination of Covid cases, injuries, suspensions and general unavailabilities.

The two forfeits added to a season of frustration for Close, whose squad have had nowhere to train and play home games due to the John Jenkins Stadium development delay.

The team’s back-up plan - to play home games at Furze Lane, as they did last season - was scuppered when they were told last summer the venue was being given to University of Portsmouth students for American Football.