What manager Tom Grice expects to see from US Portsmouth at Alresford after heavy Bashley defeat

Manager Tom Grice insists there'll be no US Portsmouth hangover as they prepare to make the trip to Alresford in a rearranged Wessex League Premier Division meeting tomorrow night.
US Portsmouth boss Tom Grice, left. Picture: Keith Woodland (170721-5)US Portsmouth boss Tom Grice, left. Picture: Keith Woodland (170721-5)
US Portsmouth boss Tom Grice, left. Picture: Keith Woodland (170721-5)

USP head into the battle having suffered their first league defeat of the season - going down 5-0 at home to high-flying Bashley on Saturday.

But Grice believes such a quick turnaround to their next fixture could prove to be a blessing for his troops.

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The USP boss revealed he gave his players a bit of a dressing down after the defeat to Bashley.

But he acknowledged US Portsmouth must learn to accept and move on from bumps in the road in their first season back in the Wessex League Premier.

Grice said: ‘It’s important to get back on the horse and forget about it (Bashley defeat). I’ve said it before, we can’t dwell on stuff that’s happened, we’ve just got to accept it and move on. It’s exactly what we’re going to do, we’ll make a few changes (for Alresford), historically, Alresford have always been a very strong team.

‘There’ll be no hangover. I spoke to them (the players) after the game and just got a few things out in the open.

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‘What can I do? Do I shout at them after every loss like that? I think we just need to learn from it. It’s getting the balance off, ‘right, that’s not acceptable,’ without going over the top.’

Grice conceded he could have complaints following the defeat to a Bashley side he believes will finish in the top five this term.

He added: ‘I think sometimes you’ve got to accept that the teams you’re playing are just better. Bashley were good, they were strong, they were fit, brilliant off the ball, they knew exactly what they were going to do as soon as they had the ball.

‘In the end, it was 2-0 at half time, I felt we were still in it but the goal just at the start of the second half just completely finished us off.’

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