Table-topping AFC Portchester survive ‘massive test of character’ to maintain 100 per cent home Wessex League record

The Royals came from 0-2 down to beat Hamble Club 4-2 last night to record their 15th successive Premier Division home victory of 2022/23.

Doubles from Marley Ridge and Brett Pitman allowed Portchester to stretch their lead to 10 points.

But a thrilling promotion run-in is on the cards as second-placed Horndean have two games in hand and still have to visit the On-Site Stadium next month.

Horndean also boast a better goal difference, helped by their 10-0 thrashing of rock bottom Alresford last night.

Hamble were making their third visit of the Wessex campaign to Cranleigh Road, with the first two having been abandoned.

The first, last November, was called off at half-time due to an injury to Hamble’s Bailey Honeysett with Portchester leading 2-0 at the time.

The second, in January, came around the 70-minute mark due to a floodlight failure when Hamble were 2-0 up.

That was a scoreline repeated when Braydon Douglas and Leo Taylor put the Monks in control last night.

But Ridge restored parity with two 25-yard strikes that flew into the top corner - taking his seasonal tally to 15 (compared to just eight last term).

His first was Portchester’s 100th league goal of the season - only the second club in the top nine tiers of English football to have achieved the feat.

Ridge was brought down on 54 minutes for the penalty which allowed Pitman to net his 41st Wessex goal of the season.

And his 42nd arrived late on when he headed in a great cross from full-back Charlie Williamson.

In between Pitman’s brace, both sides were reduced to 10 men. First, a Hamble player was dismissed for a foul on Pitman. Then Royals midfielder Steve Ramsey, booked in the ensuing melee, was shown a second yellow for a foul.

Portchester boss Dave Carter was preparing to bring Charlie Bell on in place of Ramsey when the latter was dismissed.

Carter said: ‘We told the players beforehand it would be an absolute scrap. Every game is like a cup final now, week in and week out - every team wants to knock us off our pedestal.

‘Hamble had a real go at us for 25 minutes - they hit the post at 2-0 up and missed a very good chance.

‘But it’s hard to sustain that pressure and workrate all game and in the end our quality shone through. We got the three points and deservedly so.

‘It was a massive test of character for us.

‘We’re conceding far too many goals for my liking, but we’re scoring around 3.5 per game. Maybe we’ll have a 1-0 one day!’

Portchester have only recorded a solitary 1-0 Wessex win this season - courtesy of Pitman’s 77th minute winner in their opening game at home to Cowes.

The former Pompey ace now has 48 league and cup goals to his name. He needs 14 from the last eight Wessex games to break Andy Forbes’ league record of 55 set in 2003/04 while playing for Winchester City.