BAFFINS MILTON ROVERS 0

PORTLAND UNITED 6

PORTLAND United’s Lewis Clarke struck four goals as the Blues thumped Baffins Milton Rovers 6-0 at the Kendall Stadium in the Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division.

Alex Godfrey opened the scoring with a sumptuous half-volley before Clarke twice bagged two goals either side of a Jamie Beasley effort.

Speaking to Echosport after the game, boss Simon Browne described the win as a “cracking result” after losing 5-3 to Bournemouth Poppies on Tuesday.

He said: “I was thinking afterwards you can’t not be happy at winning 6-0 away from home. It’s just frustrating and you think ‘how can we be clinical as we have been and be as profligate as we were in the second half on Tuesday?’

“But 6-0 away from home you couldn’t have asked for any more. It’s a cracking result and no less than we deserved.”

Before the game there was a chaotic series of events as Browne lost defender Sam Buckler, while assistant-manager Carl Mutch also pulled out due to work commitments.

The Blues accidentally took their home strip for the match, meaning Baffins switched from their all-blue home kit to a yellow away kit, sticking yellow tape around their socks.

And the Blues’ manager was fearing the worst after a tumultuous start to the day.

“If you said the game was going to end 6-0 I would have been concerned it was us on the end of it!”

Talking through the goals, Browne felt the game was “done and dusted” after Beasley’s strike.

He said: “Alex hit a great strike on the half-volley, it flew into the bottom corner.

“The second Lewis hooked in from six or seven yards out, a typical goalpoacher’s goal.

“Ten minutes before half-time they played the ball back to the keeper and Lewis closed him down and he miskicked the ball straight to him with an open goal for 3-0.

“Sol Ayunga came on and crossed for Jamie and the game was done and dusted. Sol then got down the right and crossed for Lewis to head in for his hat-trick.

“The sixth was a long ball, their centre-half didn’t deal with it and Lewis scored his fourth.”

Browne was delighted with Clarke’s performance after work commitments have limited his playing time.

He said: “He just wants to play. Sanchez (Baker) was unavailable and I said to Lewis there’s an opportunity for you and he’s grabbed it with both hands.

“He was in the right place at the right time. We had a joke in the changing room asking whether he’d get a place in the side next week!”

Blues: Lillington, Smith, Doidge, Bessant, Morris (Payne 85), Beasley, Halloran, McKechnie, Mitchell (Ayunga 67), L Clarke, Godfrey (Parslow 85)

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