A spirited second half fightback was not enough for AFC Portchester to avoid a 3-2 defeat at home to Westfield.
The Royals trailed the visitors 2-0 at half time but by midway through the second half they were back on level terms and searching for the goal which could have given them all three points.
However, Westfield grabbed their third goal of the night with 13 minutes remaining and held strong in the closing stages to ensure they headed back up the A3 with the victory.
The visitors took the lead with the first meaningful attack of the evening on 12 minutes. A ball down the right found Aderi Dede on the right hand edge of the penalty area and after keeper Steven Mowthorpe came off his line to try and block the danger, the Westfield player’s shot beat him and bounced into the empty net.
Portchester should have drawn level again four minutes later after a free kick from the left was cleared as far as Harrison Brook just outside the box. His low shot was well saved by keeper Lewis Gallifent diving to his right but when the re-bound was turned back across the six yard box Jack Lee skied his shot over the target from close range.
On 26 minutes a throw in on the left was flicked on into Alfie Stanley’s path but he hooked his shot over and six minutes later Charlie Williamson’s cross from the right found Brett Pitman but his attempt to guide the ball towards goal sailed just over the target.
The returning Spencer Spurway then got clear down the right and cut inside the penalty area but he put his low shot straight at Gallifent.
However, despite this bright spell by the Royals they found themselves 2-0 down on 37 minutes. Finn Evans got into the penalty area from the right and then played the ball to Caleb Wright, who tucked his shot home at the far post.
Portchester needed a strong start to the second half to have any chance of fighting their way back into the game and that’s what they produced from the off.
On 47 minutes the ball was played through to Spurway and his low shot was deflected wide by a defender but from a corner in their own box, Westfield broke quickly and the ball found its way to Tom Dryer. He took the ball up into the right side of the penalty area and Mowthorpe had to push his shot away from goal.
Portchester pulled their first goal back on 50 minutes when Spurway picked up the ball, went past a couple of defenders and then dispatched his shot into the net off the post.
The Royals’ tails were now up and seven minutes later the ball found its way to substitute James Cowan 25 yards out but his shot went straight at Gallifent.
However, the equaliser came on 67 minutes when Pitman robbed the ball off a defender inside the box and he laid a pass off to Lee Wort, who fired home his 90th goal for the club – only the second player ever to reach the 90 goal mark for the club.
Just as the home side were looking to finish off what would have been the complete comeback had they found a winner, they conceded what proved to be the winning goal for the visitors on 77 minutes.
Portchester’s defence tried to clear their lines several times after a free kick had been played into the box but they couldn’t quite completely clear the danger and eventually the ball was turned across the face of goal and Dryer knocked it home from close range.
That knocked the wind out of Portchester’s sails somewhat and they were unable to produce any further chances of note in the time remaining to draw level again.
