PORTLAND UNITED 3

Sharpe 4, 15, Bearwish 35

HORNDEAN 4

Maloney 55, 69, Read 57, Moret 83

PORTLAND United were punished in the second half as Horndean staged a remarkable comeback to earn a 4-3 win at Grove Corner in the Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division.

Simon Browne’s men had been well-placed to collect only their fifth home win of the season when 3-0 up at half-time courtesy of a Lee Sharpe double, the second of which was a spectacular volley, and a Tom Bearwish tap-in.

Bearwish also missed an open goal, but a Josh Maloney double, added to back-post strikes from Benny Read and Tyler Moret dramatically turned the game around.

Speaking to Echosport, a dejected Browne admitted his team had “capitulated”.

He said: “At the end of the game, Jake and myself were gutted. Three-nil up at half-time and losing 4-3 it’s difficult to paint a particularly good picture, but the first-half performance was great. We changed our shape and Lee scored two.

“But (second-half) we had the wind in our faces and I don’t know whether teams take confidence from having the wind behind them.

“Horndean to be fair to them had a rollicking and came out a completely different side. They gave it a right good go and unfortunately we capitulated.

“I’ve been on the right end of a 3-0 down at half-time and 4-3 win but I’ve never been on the wrong end, it’s tough to take.”

Commenting on the second-half nightmare, Browne said: “Alex Halloran gave the ball away and their sub curled it in. Then Steve Boore pushed one up in the air and their lad has poked it in.

“The third has got caught in the wind and their lad’s crossed it, it was poor marking at the far post. We’ve gone from being in a great position to thinking what was going to happen next.

“For the fourth their lad’s slotted in at the far post – you can’t countenance that. Everyone was gutted in the changing room.”

Blues: Boore, Sharpe, Payne (Smith 60), Evans, S Buckler, Bessant, Doidge, McKechnie, Clarke (Baker 65), Bearwish, Halloran (Godfrey 84). Sub not used: Butcher

Attendance: 84

Match ball sponsor: Robbie Standley

Programme sponsor: Regency Dentist Practice, Swanage

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