PORTLAND UNITED 4

COWES SPORTS 2

PORTLAND United collected their fourth straight home Wessex League Premier Division victory with a valuable 4-2 win over Cowes Sports at the Camp & Satherley Stadium.

Going into the game, Portland were 16th but the Blues have now jumped into 13th courtesy of a victory largely engineered by Greg Borthwick’s superb hat-trick.

However, Portland’s progress was far from smooth in the first half despite taking an early lead through Borthwick.

Portland supplied the striker 25 yards out and the ex-Portland Town man did the rest, unleashing an unstoppable shot into the corner just four minutes in.

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Portland continued to push and Brin Doyle sent an effort wide on the stretch from a Ben Morris cross before Cowes turned the game on its head with two goals in four minutes.

Connor Callow was adjudged to have handled in the area, Portland arguing the centre-back had turned into the ball rather than motioned his arm deliberately towards it.

Their protests were unsuccessful and Scott McFarlane beat Brad Smith to make it 1-1.

Cowes then took the lead with a controversial goal from an uncontested drop ball, Portland claiming their defence had not been given time to re-shape before Finn Phillips netted for the Yachtsmen.

Three goals in 19 minutes became four in 30 when Doyle bagged his second strike in as many games for 2-2.

Bailey Rowe missed the target with a header before half-time but when the second half began there was only one team in it.

Morris and Doyle both passed up early half-chances before Borthwick wrestled the lead back for Portland, beating the offside trap and lashing past Cowes keeper Ed Hatt from an acute angle.

With Portland now dominant, Hatt denied Rowe with his legs and Doyle hit the post before a rare attack for Cowes culminated in an indirect free-kick.

Smith was penalised for time-wasting but Cowes could only fire wide from the set-piece.

And Borthwick completed his treble from 18 yards soon afterwards to give the Blues breathing space.

As the fog descended, Portland did not relent as Morris had a shot blocked and Doyle fired the rebound wide.

Despite not taking a plethora of chances, Portland were still good value for the win and are now seven points clear of the bottom two with eight games remaining.

Speaking to Echosport, Blues boss Kyle Critchell said: “A fantastic day and the lads thoroughly deserved it.

“However, first half we weren’t doing the things we’d worked on in training and the basics weren’t being done.

“The patterns of play that we’d worked on weren’t coming off and we’d become open, that’s why we ended up going 2-1 down.

“However, the reaction after half-time and the lads’ performance was brilliant. We should’ve won by more in the end.”

On Borthwick’s hat-trick, Critchell added: “Greg’s a fantastic lad and he’s the type of boy that people want around.

“He’s enthusiastic, wants to learn and he maybe didn’t have that chance when he was younger.

“He’s trying to pick up those parts in training. He was fortunate to play last week, he did an amazing job because of Josh Williams’ illness and ending up starting when he was on the bench and scored.

“I said (pre-match): ‘Don’t let me take that shirt from you’. There’s no better way than scoring a hat-trick.

“The big man needs to enjoy those three goals because he played very well.”

Portland are next in action at Fareham Town on Saturday (3pm).

Blues: B Smith, Harvey, Callow, Delves, Bessant, Symes, Doyle, McKechnie, Borthwick (Scott 73), Rowe (Sayers 73), Morris (Diaz 90). Subs not used: Edgar, Cleaver.

Attendance: 138

Match sponsor: Jim Hinde

Match ball sponsor: Tony Babb

Man of the match sponsor: The Syndicate

Programme sponsor: Clive Saunders

Mascots: Luca Whyton, Ethan Macleish and Rio Spencely.