Super sub Suraci nets twice as Gosport Borough storm to the top of the Southern Premier League South table

Pat Suraci, right, came off the bench to score twice for Gosport at Beaconsfield. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

Gosport Borough stormed to the top of the embryonic Southern League Premier South table with a 2-0 win against ten-man Beaconsfield Town at Holloway Park.

Super sub Pat Suraci scored twice in the final 18 minutes to give Borough their second win in three days

Keeper Pat O’Flaherty recorded a third successive league clean sheet as boss Shaun Gale reflected on another great result.

'We put in an excellent professional performance,' he said.

'I felt it was a game that we dominated from start to finish.

'They were very direct and we dealt with it well.

'In the first half we put lots of good balls into their box but were a little bit rushed.

'After the break I felt we were a different class.

'Sending Pat Suraci on was one of those brilliant substitutions that as a manager you say I am glad I did that.

'I knew that he is someone who can open things up a bit.'

Eliot Charles, Nicky Bailey and Josh Huggins were drafted into the visitors’ starting line-up for their third game in six days, replacing Pompey loanees Harry Kavanagh and Eoin Taggert and Dan Wooden.

Borough created the first threat after seven minutes after Rory Williams burst down the flank and delivered a deep cross.

Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain headed the ball back into the six yard box but Charles was unable to get his shot away.

Gerard Storey fired in a 30-yard shot which lacked the power to seriously trouble Adam Forster in the home goal.

Jordan Rose picked up a yellow card after clumsily upending the much-travelled Jefferson Louis on the edge of the Borough area.

Borough had a let off on 31 minutes after a Louis flick opened up their defence.

James Ewington ran onto the ball and his shot went agonisingly past the post with O'Flaherty beaten.

As the interval approached Bradley Tarbuck narrowly failed to get his head on a terrific Oxlade-Chamberlain cross at the far post.

The first chance of the second period fell to Charles who ballooned his shot over the top.

Borough's prospects improved dramatically at the hour mark when home defender Oliver Sprague was shown a straight red card for a poor tackle.

The visitors set about making their numerical advantage count, dominating possession and territory.

Almost immediately Rose, arriving late at the far post, fired his shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Tarbuck showed great skill to chest the ball down and curl in a fierce shot that was parried away by Forster.

Suraci replaced Storey on 71 minutes and made an immediate impact to give Borough the breakthrough.

Within seconds Suraci twisted and turned his defender before firing in a shot that deflected past the 'keeper.

In stoppage-time Suraci sealed the win with an unstoppable 30-yard strike into the roof of the net.

'We have had the most difficult of starts with a lot of travelling including 14 hours on a coach in last week's FA Cup tie,' said Gale.

'I am asking my players to run through a brick wall for me and they are doing just that.

'It was keep ball at the end and I don't think Beaconsfield touched it.'

Gosport have now kept five successive league clean sheets - loanee Kingsley Latham kept two at the end of 2019/20 against Salisbury (0-0) and Beaconsfield (1-0).

Gosport Borough: O'Flaherty, Williams, Woodford, Rose, Tarbuck, Bailey, Charles (Paterson 81), Huggins, Storey (Suraci 71), Oxlade-Chamberlain, McCreadie.