Velocity Wessex League Premier Division Play Off Semi Final
Shaftesbury 1 (Pitman Pen 82)
AFC Portchester 0
As expected there really was nothing in this match between two very evenly matched sides and it took Brett Pitman’s penalty to win the game . Both sides relied on sporadic chances after a tentative first half with barely a rizla paper between them.
Shane Murphy made a good block from Marley Ridge when he came on for AFC Portchester and our best chance fell Callum Sweeney that Steven Mowthorpe saved well from close range.
Sweeney was on for the industrious Stuart Green and was digging the ball out with AFC Portchester defending their area very stoutly and looking very hard to break down.
Pitman smashed in his 60th goal of the season in all competitions after the busy Ben Satterley had ventured into the visitors box and was bundled down. It would be this that would separate the two sides. Pitman and Liam Farrugia holding up play as we held what we had.
Mowthorpe went up front and stayed up front in the last couple of minutes with no one in goal for AFC Portchester. He got a head onto a corner. Murphy saved from Harvey Hughes and we were through to face AFC Stoneham in the final at the HP Arena on Saturday.
Shaftesbury – Murphy, Farrugia, Davidson, Wells (Capt), Beard, Kellaway, Bartlett, Pitman, Green, Perrett, Satterley
Sub used – Sweeney
AFC Portchester – Mowthorpe, Wilcox, Bailey, Wilkins, O’Keefe, Woodford (Capt), Cowan, Brook, Williams, Benfield, Hughes
Subs used – Williamson, Ridge, Jones
Booked – Bailey (AFC Portchester)
Officials – B.Duffill, P.Kirby, C Morris
Match Sponsor – Peak Scaffold Ltd
Attendance – 356
Report – Avril Lancaster
Photos Ben Chandler Photography
