US Portsmouth ‘press the self destruct button’ en route to Wessex League home loss to Shaftesbury

That was the verdict of manager Fraser Quirke as the Rockies netted three times in the last 10 minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 Victory Stadium success.

USP had come from behind themselves to lead in the Premier Division fixture, thanks to goals from Dan Sibley and Danny Burroughs.

At that point the hosts were on course to complete the double, having won 2-1 in north Dorset in October on the night Quirke started the game without a recognised keeper and only 10 men due to Charlie Shepherd’s late arrival.

But former Bashley player Liam Farrugia levelled and Nathan Walker and Sam Bayston completed a fine comeback.

Aiden Shepherd had put the visitors into a half-time lead.

‘Saturday’s result was the biggest disappointment of the season for me,’ Quirke told The News.

‘We rolled our sleeves up, dug in, and got ourselves in the lead - then we just fell off a cliff face.

‘We just pressed some internal self destruct button. I don’t know it was because we were tired, mentally fatigued because we’d worked so hard.’

It was USP’s second successive late loss, having succumbed to a stoppage time winner at Bemerton the previous week.

Striker Lamin Jatta, dismissed at Bemerton, served his one-game suspension against Shaftesbury with Kelvin Mathe recalled to play a central striking role with Sibley and Brodie Spencer either side of him.

Defeat leaves USP eighth points ahead of second-bottom Pagham - the bottom two go down - but the Sussex club now have five games in hand.

Jatta, meanwhile, will return to the matchday 16 for next Saturday’s quick return fixture with Bemerton on Portsea Island.

Former Fareham Town attacker Elliott Holmes could make his debut against Bemerton, while Cameron Quirke is also available.

Holmes, Quirke, Shawn Benjamin and Owen Craig are all set for midweek action, playing for the Royal Navy against the Prison Service at the Victory Stadium on Wednesday (4pm).