PORTLAND UNITED 1

BAFFINs MILTON ROVERS 2

Portland United were knocked out of the Wessex League Cup after a closely fought game at the Camp & Satherley on Saturday.

The Blues were undefeated in four games since Shaun Bessant and Josh Hickman took over at the club, but were in for a tough afternoon with former AFC Bournemouth and Portsmouth striker Brett Pitman leading the line for Baffins.

However, Pitman did not find the net and instead goals from Harvey Wellham and Reggie Hodan either side of Greg Borthwick's tenth goal of the season 

Bessant and Hickman gave 17-year-old defender Darren Husher his first competitive start whilst Hayden Scott and Jacob Coombs also came to the starting eleven.

Joe Wickham, Jack Delves and Pat Jenkins were all dropped to the bench.

Portland's in form striker Borthwick had the first chance of the game after stealing the ball off a Baffin defender but was denied by Roux Hardcastle in the visitors goal.

But it was the hosts who would take the lead after 25 minutes when a first time ball was flicked over the top for Wellham to finish pass Harrison Bruton.

Ten minutes later the Blues came close as Freddie Beale looked to find Borthwick but the striker could not get on the end of the winger's delivery.

As half time approached, Portland thought they had scored as Borthwick tucked the ball home, but the Blues striker was judged to have been in an offside position.

Lewis Toms then had a chance on the stroke of half time as Portland spurned anther chance in a frustrating first half..

It took a while in the second half for either side to create any real chances, but then on 68 minutes Bruton produced a brilliant double save to deny the visitors a second goal.

Then, just four minutes later, that man Borthwick continued his fine goal scoring form and levelled the score after an assist from Josh Camp.

Baffins looked to respond immediately and Bruton was called into action again to deny an acrobatic effort from one of Baffin's forwards. 

The away side did regain their lead though in the 77th minute after Hodan found the net with the ball narrowly crossing the line as Blues defender attempted to clear the ball.

Portland through everything at Baffin in the final ten minutes but could not find an equaliser and bowed out of the cup.

PORTLAND: Bruton, Husher, Stuttle (Clarke 46), Toms, Evans, Scott (Delves 81), Coombs Woolford 81), Williams, Borthwick (Jenkins 73), Camp, Beale (Wickham 60)

BAFFINS: Hardcastle, Fox, Gibson, Kerton, Oakwell, Smith, Wellham, Pitman, Lukonyomoi