AFC Portchester moved up to tenth place in the Isthmian League South Central Division thanks to their 3-0 win over South Park Reigate.
The Royals endured something of a frustrating first half when they created plenty of opportunities but failed to take any of them and went in level at the break.
However, three goals in ten second half minutes ensured Portchester picked up their seventh league win of the campaign which moved them towards the top of a mid-table group which sees nine teams covered by just four points.
The home side’s first chance came on nine minutes when Zack Willett crossed from the right and found Kane O’Keefe but his shot bounced just wide.
Three minutes later Willett took the ball forward into the right side of the penalty area but his low shot was easily saved by keeper Daniel Bracken.
Alfie Stanley and Willett then combined to move the ball up to the edge of the box. Their initial attempt to get past the defence was blocked and the ball bounced back to Stanley but he couldn’t get the power behind his shot to trouble Bracken.
On 23 minutes Charlie Williamson’s cross from the right was knocked down by Tommy Scutt to Willett but his shot went narrowly wide of the post.
A minute later brought a quick break for the Royals which set Stanley up with the chance to shoot but he put his shot just over the target.
Portchester found their shooting boots in the second half and took the lead on 53 minutes thanks to a helping hand from the visitors.
Bracken looked to play the ball to a defender but Stanley closed him down and intercepted his attempted pass. The Royals’ striker then lifted his shot past the stranded keeper and into the net.
The home side almost doubled their lead a minute later when Josh Clack’s through ball was brought down by Willett but his shot was deflected wide by a defender.
It was 2-0 on 58 minutes when Clack went on a run from his own half before laying a pass off to Stanley on the left edge of the box. He then cut inside with the ball before hitting a low shot which Bracken appeared to have initially blocked but it rolled past him and into the net.
Stanley was inches away from completing his hat-trick two minutes later with a shot from the edge of the box but Bracken’s finger tip save diverted it over the crossbar.
The third goal came from a corner on the left on 63 minutes. The ball drifted past the far post area but was kept alive by Jack Lee, who hooked the ball back across goal and O’Keefe dispatched his downward header into the net.
Substitute Marley Ridge had a couple of decent chances to extend the lead further in the final quarter of the game – first he drifted past three defenders only to see his shot blocked by Bracken and then his effort from 25 yards out went just over the target.
Portchester keeper Cameron Scott was largely untroubled for the whole game but on 90 minutes he had to be alert to kick away Aidan Brown’s shot.
