Suraci makes an impact off the bench again as Gosport Borough jump up to second in the Southern League Premier South table with victory at Hartley Wintney

Theo Lewis, right, celebrates his winner with Dan Wooden. Picture: Tom Phillips.

For the third game running, Suraci made a big impact as Shaun Gale’s side won 1-0 at Hampshire rivals Hartley Wintney.

It was a third straight victory for Gosport and a third clean sheet in a row for Ipswich loanee Bert White.

Suraci started Boro’s opening two games but was then demoted to the bench. He responded by coming on and scoring the only goal at Weston-super-Mare.

Theo Lewis heads the only goal. Picture: Tom Phillips.

Introduced as a second half sub against Chesham at the weekend, a lovely bit of dribbling by Suraci set up Joe Lea for the crucial second goal in a 3-0 win.

And against Wintney, he came on at half-time for debutant Devane Boungou - and produced the 75th minute cross from which Theo Lewi headed the only goal.

Borough are now up to second in the embryonic table, with four wins in five matches.

Gale said: ‘It wasn’t a pitch for pure football, it was a difficult surface and we had to dig in again.

Pat Suraci came on as a sub and set up the winner for Gosport. Picture: Tom Phillips.

‘We did what we had to do, which was get the three points.

‘Bert didn’t really have a major save to make.

‘We are building solid foundations and if we keep things tight at the back we’ve got players with the ability to create and to score goals.’

Gale was forced into changes, with Josh Huggins - captain against Chesham - out with a hamstring injury and replaced by ex-Pompey defender Matt Casey.

Lea was absent due to the injury he suffered in second half stoppage time against Chesham, and Bouwe Bosma was left out of the starting XI. In came Forest Green loanee Luke Hallet, just 18, for his first start as a holding midfielder and Frenchman Boungou was handed his first appearance.

Boungou joined up with Borough just before the 2020/21 season was stopped in late October, never to return. He was an unused sub in the club’s final game of the campaign, an FA Trophy loss at Dorchester.

Dan Wooden went closest for Borough in the first half at Hartley Wintney, hitting the woodwork, before Lewis nodded in the second-half decider.

‘Credit to the boys who have come in,’ said Gale, who is without experienced quartet Mike Carter, Ryan Woodford, Rory Williams and Matt Paterson through injury.

Asked if he was surprised at their start to the season, given those unavailable to him, Gale replied: ‘Yes and no.

‘The young players who have come in have been excellent and the senior players have stood up to the task.’

Borough are next in action at home to one division lower Plymouth Parkway in the FA Cup first qualifying round on Saturday.