Andover New Street 0 Portsmouth 5: Classy Blues kids demolish unbeaten Wessex League side to secure quarter-final spot

Andover New Street are undefeated and placed second in Division One of the Wessex Football League, the same division as Petersfield Town.

Yet they were taken apart by a classy young Blues side, who brilliantly dominated proceedings with ease and could have won even more comfortably than the 5-0 scoreline.

With the entire first-team squad not under consideration and Zesh Rehman absent, under-18s assistant boss Sam Hudson took the reins and selected from the current Academy set-up.

The only exception was Bridgman, back after a loan spell at Bognor, where he has netted four times this season, and handed the number 11 shirt.

The 18-year-old, who has two Pompey first-team outings under his belt and attended Danny Cowley’s training camp in Spain last summer, demonstrated his quality at Foxcotte Park.

Involved in Jamie Howell’s opener, he continued to cause Andover plenty of problems, with further goals coming from Koby Mottoh, Adam Payce (two) and Gabriel Kamavuako.

Kick-off was delayed for 25 minutes after an SOS was sent out for an electrician to fix a faulty floodlight, putting the match in doubt.

Thankfully somebody came to the cup tie’s rescue and it began at 8.10pm in front of a fair crowd on a mild Tuesday evening.

When the match got underway, Bridgman was immediately into the action, surging down the middle before putting Howell clean through, only to be flagged offside.

The same pair combined in the 16th minute - and broke the deadlock.

Payce fed Bridgman inside the box down the left and his low cross was slammed into the roof of the net from close range by Howell.

Just four minutes later, Rehman’s side made it 2-0, created and finished by Mottoh.

Operating on the right-hand side of midfield rather as a wing-back, his burst to the box resulted in being tripped - and the talented Blues youngster netted the resulting penalty.

The visitors were playing some lovely football and, minutes later, Mottoh’s excellent cross from the right was met first time by Howell, who shot over.

Pompey were threatening with every attack, with firstly Payce denied by a tremendous last-ditch tackle by Matt Scott, then a superb run and subsequent shot from Howell was saved.

The visitors led 2-0 at the break and they increased their advantage on 57 minutes when Howell set up Payce for the Blues’ third.

The width of a post prevented Andover’s Cameron Thatcher reducing the deficit on 67 minutes with a header from Eddie Perrett’s right-wing corner.

Yet it was already game over, with Pompey continuing to dictate possession and eight minutes from the end Payce coolly slotted home to make it four.

There was still time for Kamavuako to win a penalty and convert it himself to complete a thumping 5-0 triumph over the tier 10 side.

Pompey: Smith, Quarm (72 mins Bosaka), Dockerill, Fox, Laidlaw, Mottoh (72 mins Kamavuako), Murray, Aston, Bridgman (86 mins Hurst), Payce, Howell.

Subs Not Used: Osei-Owusu, Keteku.