CRIBBS 4

PORTLAND UNITED 2

PORTLAND United crashed out of the FA Vase first round with a disappointing 4-2 defeat to ten-man Cribbs.

Franklyn Clarke’s men endured a miserable afternoon at the Lawns as four sloppy goals gifted the numerically-disadvantaged Cribbs a route into round two.

And matters were made worse by a nasty cut to the face of midfielder Josh Williams, who needed stitches after a trip to hospital.

Cribbs’ Ryan Cainey was the player responsible and received his marching orders, but not before the Gloucestershire side went 1-0 up.

READ MORE: Brockenhurst 4-0 Portland United - match report

Slack defending cost Portland as they failed to track runners from a throw-in, allowing Aysa Corrick to square for skipper Jake Hodgson to tuck home.

Then came Williams’ horrid injury and a long delay, after which Greg Borthwick was introduced.

The striker was involved in first-half stoppage time, firing over from range, but after the break it was Cribbs, not Portland, who would score next.

David Duru got the goal, with Corrick claiming his second assist of the game, and Portland’s afternoon soured when a cheap handball presented a penalty to Cribbs from which Bailey Croome made no mistake.

Portland found space in wide areas with their extra man as Cribbs defended in a block, and they pulled a goal back when Clarke scored from distance with 23 minutes remaining.

It was now all Portland as Josh Camp fired wide and the Blues grabbed a second when Liam Sayers continued his rich scoring form in the 77th minute, creating space in the box before slotting home.

Troy Walbridge forced a good save from Cribbs’ keeper Rob Brown and Portland cries for a handball in the box fell on deaf ears as the Blues pushed on.

However, they pushed on too much in stoppage time as Cribbs broke upfield to score a fourth through Nick Jones as Corrick chalked up his third assist.

Speaking to Echosport after the Blues failed to win despite playing more than an hour, including injury-time, against ten men, Clarke said: “I’m disappointed with the goals we conceded.

“We gifted them four goals. You can’t make it that easy for the opposition.

“Individual errors, mistakes have cost us. Going forward we were fantastic and for the second half we had a lot of the possession.

“In terms of the ten men, we scored two and could’ve had more. But when you give goals away it makes it a massive uphill battle.”

“On Williams, Clarke added: “He’s OK. It was a nasty one. He took a knee to the side of the face and cut by his eye. He had to go straight to hospital.”

Portland host Laverstock & Ford in Wessex League action on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Blues: Edgar, Thomas, Harvey (Walbridge 73), Callow, Stuttle, McKechnie, F Clarke, Williams (Borthwick 40), Sayers, M Smith, Camp (Lowes 73). Sub not used: Doyle.