Non-League Natter is back! After a period away we are back and this week we went to Wessex League Premier Division side AFC Portchester, a club that spent the summer heavily investing in their first team with the aim to gain promotion into Southern league South and West.
On Saturday 12th on a chilly December day, I decided to make the trip to AFC Portchester for their intriguing match against table toppers Hamworthy United.
AFC Portchester have had a mixed start to the season and sit in eighth place prior to kick-off and despite investing in the first-team squad they decided to sack their manager after 10 games.
Hamworthy on the other hand have had a brilliant start to the season losing just once and conceding just eight times in the process.
General Information
Club name – AFC Portchester
Nickname – ‘Portchy’ or ‘The Royals’
Stadium – The Crest Finance Stadium, Wicor Recreation Ground, Cranleigh Road, Fareham PO16 9DP
Capacity – 1,500
Founded – 1971
Division – Wessex League Premier
Gaffer – Marty Wallace (interim)
Before the match
Having arrived at roughly 1.30pm, I walked through the turnstiles and was greeted by a temperature check to ensure I was COVID-safe. As I walked in, there is a lovely little bar to the left of the stand and straight ahead there is another supporters’ bar and a recently built terrace for fans with a media room too.
With an hour-and-a-half until kick-off, it gave me a chance to sample what AFC Portchester had to offer… a beer and a burger and to have a look around the surroundings and get a better understanding of the club.
The staff on hand were friendly and attentive while the supporters were in positive spirits that their team could beat the table toppers and they had every right to be positive!
Value for money?
Admission – The current prices advertised are £6 for adults, £3 for OAPs and under 18s are free.
Burger – A cheese and bacon burger was my burger of choice once again! A nice burger and crispy bacon but once again the dreaded plastic cheese! Not a lot of sauce either but was tasty nonetheless and at £3.40 it wasn’t bad! – 3.5/5
Beer – A Carling this time and it was crisp and well poured but more options could have been available ‘on tap’ and at £4.25 it’s fair to say the price was a bit steep, sadly down to lack of options I will have to give it – 3/5
Programme – Informative, engaging and very well designed! It included everything you could ask for from a programme – a bright and bold one to keep you entertained – 4.5/5
Stadium – The ‘Royals’ have invested heavily on the ground and behind the goal at one end there is a brilliant and tidy little stand. Along the side it features two smaller stands and behind the other goal is a modern scoreboard which is a rarity at this level! I must say it’s a ground which is definitely preparing for a future higher up then the division they currently find themselves in – 4.5/5
The match – A high intensity, end-to-end first half was coupled by a very dominant second-half performance by Hamworthy. The league leaders controlled the game and scored some goals that are worthy of being ‘goal of the season’ contenders at any level! For the ‘Royals’ however it was a disappointing game for themselves with chances not taken, which had they taken them, then the game could have had a different complexion to the outcome – 4.8/5
The support – Fantastically supported team with a 300-strong crowd in attendance. Vocal fans singing anything from ‘wash your hands my lord’ to singing about the players loudly, enthusiastically and passionately – 4/5
The Facilities – The facilities on offer are second to none! Along one side of the stadium you notice a corporate bar sandwiched between two stands and another bar at the other end for supporters. For your food fix you find a burger bar tightly packed in the corner serving hot food and beverages. One end of the stadium has a scoreboard and open area to stand while the other end has a temporary stand with once again another bar! It really is a delight for this level and simply for the facilities that have been built recently, I would have to give AFC Portchester’s facilities a lovely – 4.5/5
Overall Grade – Overall with the facilities, the match and the support along with a number of other factors such as the match day experience, AFC Portchester deserves a commendable grade and is only sadly let down by the price of a pint so for the ‘Royals’ I would give them a – 3.5/5
The Match
The match started off brightly, both sides full of optimism but after 23 minutes on the clock at the Crest Finance Stadium, we had our first goal. Portchester failed to clear their lines and with the ball bouncing around in the area Cam Munn struck a shot that went in off the post leaving keeper Brad Snelling stranded (0-1).
Seven minutes later the referee awarded a penalty to the visitors, an opportunity to pile on the pressure but Eddie Hodge’s spot-kick was easily saved this time by Brad Snelling and it was game on!
Supporters were in jubilation and a welcome boost for the home side.
On 45 minutes however supporters around the ground were welcomed to a ‘peach of a goal’ – again the ‘Royals’ failed to clear their lines and Eddie Hodge on the far-right side of the box absolutely thumped a first-time shot into the top-left corner from 30 yards. It flew like a missile and my word what a goal to end a fantastic half! (0-2)
Half-time
A time to reflect on the first half drama and what a half it was. I went into the clubhouse to warm-up and check the scores in Portchester’s plush clubhouse. A fantastic little place to reflect on an enjoyable and entertaining first half. I was hoping for a second-half similar to the fantastic first 45 and I was correct. I ventured out of the clubhouse to brave the cold for another entertaining 45 minutes.
Second half
The second half kicked-off and with ‘Portchy’ pushing for a goal to get back into the game but instead it was Hamworthy who grabbed a third! A freekick was given on the edge of the box which was a 50/50 between players of both sides, a small tussle as well as a hustle from the Portchester player and Hamworthy players.
You had to feel for the home side for this decision by the referee but debutant and Poole Town loanee Steve Devlin didn’t seem too distracted by this as he found a gap in the wall and thumped the ball into the top corner to make it 0-3. Surely, now barring a miracle this was going to be Hamworthy’s day.
On 55 minutes we had our final goal of the afternoon after some poor defending by ‘Portchy’, Munn added his second of the afternoon, with a quick free-kick by Devlin but it was Munn who did the hard work rounding the keeper who then collided with his own defender only for Munn to put it into the net despite a challenge in the process making it 0-4.
AFC Portchester did however remain positive and kept pushing for a goal and had they had some decisions gone their way this game could have gone either way but Hamworthy did enough to remain on the forefront for the whole game and in the end, it was enough. These are two teams who I believe will be up near the top come the end of the season and some very good football was played on a cold December day.
FULL TIME – AFC PORTCHESTER 0-4 HAMWORTHY UNITED
Post-Match
Having spent the past 90 minutes in the winter chill, it was time to reflect on the game and a match day with AFC Portchester, the players came off the pitch looking deflated following a disappointing home loss but the effort they showed during the match. They deserved to have got at least one or two, a couple of decisions by the referee made it a near impossible task and Hamworthy’s strong defence withheld ‘The Royals’.
Hamworthy looked elated at full-time after another clean sheet and victory. The warm club house was the location to copy my notes down and the fantastic staff were lovely. The club has all the measures in place to really go further up the pyramid and I don’t see why within a couple of years they won’t be, as the facilities they have on offer and the infrastructure I can’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be. A great Wessex League club doing all the right things for their future.
By Ryan Lancaster
Follow @Ryanlancaster07
