Ten-sational! AFC Portchester's 100 per cent Wessex League start now into double figures following victory at US Portsmouth

Their 3-1 success at US Portsmouth was the Royals’ 10th in a row in the Wessex League Premier Division this term.

In a total of 52 divisions nationwide, only Erith & Belvedere (Southern Counties East, ninth tier) and Pilkington (North West Counties League Division 1 North, 10th tier) also have an unblemished record.

Lowestoft (Isthmian League North, eighth tier) and Real Bedford (Spartans South Midlands League Division 1, 10th tier) both saw their 100 per cent starts shattered at the weekend with defeats.

‘It’s a great achievement,’ beamed Carter after two first-half Brett Pitman goals had set up his side’s latest Wessex success.

‘We just have to keep going, stay grounded. We’re not going to get carried away, we’ll just take it game by game.’

Regarding the US game, Carter added: ‘We got the job done, we didn’t really get out of second gear.’

SEE MORE: Picture gallery – US Portsmouth v AFC Portchester

Harrison Brook struck his seventh goal of the season shortly into the second half before US replied when Amadeusz Skrzyniarz, under pressure from his own defender Charlie Williamson, dropped an Ash Thompson cross and ex-Royal Simon Woods pounced.

US have suffered six successive home league defeats, and haven’t tasted a Victory Stadium league victory since last January.

Pitman, meanwhile, has now struck 16 times in 13 league and cup starts in 2022/23, plus one as a sub. He is now joint top of the Wessex Premier goal charts with Duarte Martins of AFC Stoneham.

Carter made five changes from the starting XI that had suffered a 1-0 home Wessex League Cup loss to Baffins three days earlier.

Skrzyniarz replaced Steve Mowthorpe in goal while Sam Pearce, James Cowan, Liam Robinson and Pitman came in for Ryan Wilkins, Marley Ridge, Harry Beckley and Tyler Giddings.

Ridge was rested while Giddings - along with Steve Ramsey and Curt De Costa - played for the under-23s in a 4-0 win against Folland.

Ashton Leigh was serving the second of a three-game ban, and will complete his suspension in the midweek Russell Cotes Cup tie against Brockenhurst.

The tie is in the process of being pushed back 24 hours to Wednesday, therefore allowing Pearce to serve a one-game ban - he was dismissed against Baffins last week - ahead of next Saturday’s FA Vase tie with Phoenix Sports.