Portishead Town 3 Shaftesbury 0
Match Report by Hugo Richards / 28th March
Southern League Division One South
Portishead produced a dominant display to see off play-off rivals Shaftesbury, firing home three deserved goals in a one-sided encounter. With chance after chance throughout, the visitors could count themselves fortunate the scoreline remained so modest.
Portishead made a blistering start to the match, asserting themselves from the outset. An early foul by Shaftesbury gifted a free-kick around 20 yards from goal, and Mitch Osmond stepped up with real intent. He delivered a superb, curling strike that flew into the top-right corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
Posset kept the pressure firmly on, giving Shaftesbury no time to settle. Just three minutes later, they won a corner. Which was taken short by Osmond to Jay Murray. Murray unleashed a beautifully clean strike that arrowed into the bottom-left corner, a brilliantly executed training ground routine goal.
As the game approached the half-hour mark, Ethan Feltham began to torment the Shaftesbury defence with his movement and skill. After some clever footwork in the box to create space, he came agonisingly close to adding his name to the scoresheet, his shot coming back off the near post.
This time Feltham was the one setting up the chance after he cut the ball back to Murray inside the box. Murray looked certain to score, but the goalkeeper produced a superb, heroic save to deny him and keep his side’s faint hopes alive.
Shaftesbury began the second half with renewed energy and intent. Five minutes in, their striker broke through one-on-one with the Portishead goalkeeper, Jakob Glover, and looked to pull the trigger. But Ollie Woodhouse showed great strength and composure, muscling him off the ball at the vital moment to snuff out the danger.
Moments later, Posset reapplied pressure and Owen Humphries won his team a penalty. Captain, Kyle Egan, stepped up to take the penalty. Unbelievably Egan had his attempt saved after it seemed destined for the bottom left corner.
With 20 minutes remaining, Portishead finally found their third goal. Kyle Egan drove down the wing and delivered a precise cut-back into the path of Owen Humphries, who met it with real conviction and fired his shot into the right side of the net.
The game slightly died down from this moment but Portishead remained in control. Shaftesbury came close to a consolation goal but, the posset man of the match, Hamish Hurst denied the shot with a big block inside his own box.
Portishead now turn their attention to Somerset County Cup semi-final action against Wincanton Town on Tuesday night, before Friday’s league trip to Larkhall. On strong form, Posset will be confident that a repeat of this performance on the road could secure another vital three points.
