Chatham Cup once again provides valuable experience for the youth….

With glorious conditions for cup football the match got underway. Fencibles quickly set about their task well and dominated the game early and within 10 minutes we found ourselves 2 goals down. We hadn’t settled and found ourselves caught napping defensively. Being 2.0 down, somehow made us stir into action and we started to get back into the game. Our three forwards began to hassle and put Fencibles back four under some pressure. We did create some opportunities mainly through free kicks created by putting pressure on their defence. We managed to cause confusion in the penalty area but didn’t seem to get the luck of the bounce. A superb effort from Dave Allan was our closest opportunity just sailing over the bar.

3.0 down at half time and all was not lost. Spirit remained positive in the half time dressing room and the attitude from the players was great.

The second half slipped away from us. We got caught four more times in the second half and were it not for some great goal keeping the score could have been worse. A great effort to the end and credit to the players for battling to the final whistle.

It is not often you can say that after a 7.0 home defeat that there were positives in a performance. Andy Hey, Robbie Leonard, Keegan Saville, Jethro Conway and Trent Hirst all showed the reason why it is important to give youth the opportunity and that we will be a better team for it in the future. A big thank you to our supporters and the squad for showing great encouragement.

This cup match was all about introducing young first team players and it worked. Our first win is not far away and the team and club are preparing well for it, the youth are ready and gaining more experience each week, their time will come.

There was a silver lining to the day, however, yes ladies and gentlemen Portsmouth FC did win the FA cup for the first time since 1939 and yes people Pompey are now in Europe! So my message to the 1st team – anything can happen in football, keep on believing, keep the faith and keep battling lads.

Team:- Trent Hirst, Ben Jonhstone, Jimmy Peckett, Andy Hey, Josh Wright (Jay Presnall 46), Robbie Leonard, Dave Allan (captain), Duncan Moxon (Jason Paranihi 46), Keegan Saville, Joseph Morris, Jethro Conway (James Wright, 60)

Man of the match: - Andy Hey.