Royals second best in every department at Moneyfields

The hosts ran out 2-0 winners in this FA Vase Second Qualifying Round tie and fully deserved their victory on the day.

The visitors were under par in every department for the vast majority of the game - particularly disappointing as they came into this match on a run of seven games unbeaten, with six of those being wins.

There were one or two unsavoury moments which seemed to stem from the home bench in the closing stages of the match and after the final whistle had blown - completely unnecessary after what had been a fierce but fairly contested local derby from which the home side deservedly took the full bragging rights.

The Royals just weren’t at the races although they started the brighter of the two sides in the first half and had the better of the play for the opening part of the second half but they just couldn’t get their usual attacking play going.

The visitors had the first half chance of the game on three minutes when Lee Wort picked up a clearance from the home defence on the edge of the box but his shot was easily gathered by keeper Tom Price.

But Moneyfields had a decent chance to open the scoring four minutes later when Matthew McGlinchey was put clear into space down the right. He pulled the ball inside to Bradey Norton, whose shot had to be pushed away from the goal by keeper Steven Mowthorpe.

The home side took control of the destiny of this game on 16 minutes when they opened the scoring. A long ball down the middle of the pitch was not dealt with by the visiting defence and it bounced through into the path of Steve Hutchings, who took it forwards into the box before despatching a low shot past Mowthorpe.

On 29 minutes Moneys had a good chance to double their lead when Hutchings and Norton combined to put James Franklyn clear in the right hand side of the box and his shot was charged down for a corner.

Three minutes later the visitors rode what little luck they were having again when Franklyn got clear down the right and crossed the ball to the far post where Hutchings sent his header towards goal. Mowthorpe may have got a slight deflection on the ball but the header thumped against the crossbar.

Portchester chances were proving as rare as hen’s teeth in this game and only their second attempt on goal came two minutes before half time when Wort knocked the ball down to Kieran Roberts but his shot was a simple save for Price.

But there was still time for the home side to exploit the space they were being given down the right before half time - this time Hutchings knocked it down the wing, Franklyn pulled the ball inside to Norton and his shot had to be blocked behind for a corner.

Portchester looked a little better after the interval and on 48 minutes Conor Bailey was allowed to try his luck from the left side of the penalty area and although Price had to turn his driven shot aside, no visiting attacker was inside the six yard box for what would have been a simple tap in.

Three minutes later the home side almost netted their second when Franklyn went clear down the left hand side of the penalty area. Fortunately for the visitors a defender managed to get back in time to block Franklyn’s attempted cross as Hutchings was standing completely unmarked at the far post.

The turning point could have come on 58 minutes when Marley Ridge picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a swerving shot which left Price rooted to the spot but it thumped against the post and was hacked to safety.

Had that gone in there could have been a different outcome to the match with the Royals slightly in the ascendancy at that stage but their hopes came and went with that chance in the end.

The home side sealed the win in some style on 77 minutes. A ball from the right was crossed to the far post and Hutchings volleyed the ball, as he was falling away from the goal, back in the direction it had come from and his shot found the corner of the net.

A quality finish from a player who had dominated the Portchester defence for the whole 90 minutes and whose double deservedly booked Moneyfields’ place in the next round.