Blandford vs Portsmouth 3s

After last week’s Jekyll and Hyde performance it was vital that Blandford hit the ground running against league leading Portsmouth.  A win for Blandford would put them top of the league.  Their opponents, Portsmouth, had won every game so far and had started the season on a scoring spree.

From the off, it was clear that Portsmouth possessed real quality, linking play well and utilising their pace up front.  However, it was clear that Blandford’s defence was up to the challenge, holding firm and frustrating the opposition. 

Slowly, but surely, Blandford found their way into the match, utilising their resilient defence to create counter-attack opportunities.  The game began to flow back and forth with chances for either side.  A breakaway for Portsmouth, put their striker through.  Keeper Clint Thrower drove the player wide allowing Paul Cross to clear the ball off of the line.  At the other end, Blandford began to win short corners.  Smart saves from the Portsmouth keeper kept Blandford at bay, though they came close to turning in deflections on several occasions.

Twenty-five minutes in and Blandford captain, Matty Lewis slipped the ball right from the short corner, finding Andy Smith in space on the right.  Andy, in his customary style, drifted past players before ripping a strike across the face of goal and into the far corner, to put Blandford 1-0 up.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with Portsmouth pushing and Blandford countering quickly.

On the 50^th minute, Andy quickly converted defence into attack, hitting the ball from the 22 to Gareth Hardiman.  He beat his man and drew out the keeper, before slipping the ball to Barney Jacques-Gray to coolly slot away to double Blandford’s lead.

With 10 minutes to go, Blandford survived a scare when James Payne hit a strike from just outside of the D into the far corner.

With a minute to go, Portsmouth finally got on the scoresheet, scoring from a short-corner.  But the whilst blew immediately from the restart confirming victory for Blandford.  The win leapfrogged Blandford over Portsmouth and placed them in top spot.

Blandford and Sturminster’s are now one of only 2 clubs in England and Wales that have both their Men’s and Women’s sections unbeaten.

Man of the Match: Lee Watkinson – calm under pressure and made an impact through all phases of the pitch.

DOD: Paul Cross – His tackling was so intense and relentless, that even his own teammates weren’t spared.