Vine frustrated as Gosport Borough surrender two points

Rowan Vine celebrates his goal. Picture: Keith Woodland

The joint caretaker manager delivered his assessment after the Southern League premier division strugglers surrendered a lead to draw 1-1 with Biggleswade Town at Privett Park on Saturday.

Borough, who travel to promotion-chasing Weymouth on Monday, looked on their way to a first win in 19 games when Vine gave them a 75th-minute lead with a stunning strike.

But nerves immediately set in and Biggleswade levelled four minutes later.

Vine insists Borough can take a lot of positives from their improved performance, though.

‘When you haven’t won so long it becomes difficult when you go in front with 15 minutes left,’ said Vine.

‘You could see the players mindset change. The thought process is to try to hang on to what you have got.

‘We had been in the ascendancy but all of a sudden take a step back. If we had nicked another goal then it would have been game over.

‘That is where we are at and we conceded again soon afterwards. It is still a massive point but it could – and possibly should – have been all three.’

Borough, who are now three points adrift of safety with a game in hand on relegation rivals Dunstable Town, started brightly.

Pat Suraci fired narrowly wide in the opening minute but soon Biggleswade took control.

With the three keepers in their squad injured and their pleas to sign cover falling on deaf ears, the visitors had to play skipper and midfielder Craig Daniels in goal.

But Borough, disappointingly, failed to test the stand-in stopper during the first half.

‘Nerves crept into our game after a good start,’ added Vine.

‘In the first half we didn’t get into the right areas and didn’t get in enough shots on goal.

‘We changed that in the second half, though, and got on top. The statistics show we had four or five good opportunities but only scored once.’

Vine’s goal was a magnificent effort, however. Picking the ball up 25 yards out, he burst to the edge of the box and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the far corner to give Borough the lead.

Within four minutes, though, the visitors had levelled. Connor Hall earned Biggleswade a point with a header from a free-kick.