Portchester youngsters and reserve team success help bring ‘buzz’ back to Paulsgrove after ‘tough’ months

Paulsgrove boss Steve Ledger believes an influx of AFC Portchester youngsters and reserve team success have helped to bring ‘a buzz’ back to the club.
Finn Bello (red/blue) is one of the Portchester U23 players who have helped bring 'a buzz' back to Paulsgrove.
Picture: Neil MarshallFinn Bello (red/blue) is one of the Portchester U23 players who have helped bring 'a buzz' back to Paulsgrove.
Picture: Neil Marshall
Finn Bello (red/blue) is one of the Portchester U23 players who have helped bring 'a buzz' back to Paulsgrove. Picture: Neil Marshall

Earlier this year Ledger struck up a relationship with the Royals, whereby some of the latter’s promising Under-23s gained men’s football experience with Grove in the Hampshire Premier League.

Defender Max Connolly and midfielders Finn Bello and Ollie Complin all started in the 3-0 weekend win at rock bottom Lyndhurst. Another U23 player, defender Billy Paice, has also been signed on but did not play in the New Forest.

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Grove scorched into a 2-0 lead inside five minutes, through Archie Scott and Frankie Kemp, and were in ‘cruise’ mode after that.

Kemp - who his manager has said has been ‘hit and miss lately’ - added a second goal as Lyndhurst suffered a 25th loss in 26 Senior Division games.

Ledger is delighted with the link-up with Portchester. ‘The young lads have made a hell of a difference,’ he remarked. ‘They have brought a lot of energy and helped bring a buzz around the club again.

‘It’s a win-win situation. It benefits Portchester and it benefits us.

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‘The youngsters who have come in are all capable of playing in the Hampshire Premier and that’s testament to the work done by (Royals U23 coaches) Joe Noakes and Lloyd Kelly.

‘It would be amazing to get any them back next season, or anyone else that Portchester think is good enough.’

Ledger is also delighted at the progress of the Grove reserve team, who are on course to win the Hampshire Combination Division 1 East division.

They ended second-placed Midhurst & Easebourne’s unbeaten record with a 5-1 success on Saturday.

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Leading scorer Jake Pepall netted twice with Tom Doughty - son of reserve boss Kevin - Brandon Bowman and Billy Smith also on target.

Grove, who have won all 13 of their league games so far, need just three points from their last three matches to win the title.

‘The reserves have some really promising youngsters,’ said Ledger, ‘who could be in and around the first team squad next season.

‘The reserves have got a great spirit and their target now is to go the whole (league) season unbeaten.

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‘The whole place is buzzing again after what’s been a tough couple of months.

‘There’s lots of work going on behind the scenes and the plan for next season is to get things more structured; to run it more as a football club, rather than how it has been run.

‘For the first team, we're just building now for next season. Hopefully we can mount a challenge.’