SHERBORNE TOWN RES 0

PORTLAND UNITED 1

A PORTLAND United side missing a number of key names through injury ended the year with a gutsy win at Raleigh Grove.

James Hansford certainly took his chance to impress Blues’ boss Gary Bailey after stepping up from the reserves.

The first-half substitute pounced to score Portland’s winning goal in the 85th minute of a hard-fought Dorset Premier League encounter.

“I couldn’t be happier,” said Bailey. “Considering what we went up there with, I’m delighted with the result.

“I had a lot of work to do just to get a team on the pitch and the lads that went out there were a credit to the club.

“Two players dropped out on the morning of the match so Ross Boatswain and James Hansford stepped up from the reserves and did an excellent job.

“Carl Mutch started his first game after 10 weeks out and did well before coming off in the second half.

“It was nice to end the year with a win, and more so after all the work that had gone on behind the scenes to get a team out.”

On the game itself, Bailey added: “It was a close game but given the number of chances we created, I thought we just edged it.

“The first 20 minutes were very even but the more the game went on, the more we got a foothold in it, though Warren Boyt had to make a couple of saves to keep the scores level.

“We regrouped at half-time and Charlie May and Jake Price had a couple of chances in the second half but couldn’t take them.

“I would probably have taken a point when it was 0-0 at 85 minutes, then we went and got the winner. The ball was played into Charlie on the edge of their box, he held his man off, found James and he put it past the keeper.

“James has had a couple of injuries this season and found it hard to get a game with the first team.

“But, like Ross, he got an opportunity at Sherborne and took his chance on a difficult day with other players missing.”

Portland are next in action on Saturday, January 3 when they go to Mere Town in the Dorset Premier League Cup.

Blues: Boyt, Boatswain, Whyton, Carmichael, Bessant, Mutch (Townley 65), Smith, Bastick, Price, May, Linaker (Hansford 15)