His strike moments after coming off the bench proved to be the difference on an afternoon when try as they might, the ball didn’t look like it would ever go in the net for Portchester.
The home side created hatfuls of chances, particularly in the first half, but the visitors defended heroically and may have felt confident of nicking a result after creating some good openings of their own, particularly in the second half.
Portchester almost scored in the opening minute when Lee Wort slipped the ball through to Ryan Pennery inside the penalty area but keeper Josh Attwood blocked his shot.
Four minutes later Marley Ridge danced past a challenge after picking the ball up in midfield and fired off a shot which Attwood had to get quickly down to on his right to keep out.
Ridge had another shot on goal on 11 minutes deflected behind for a corner from which Olly Searle’s shot was heading in until a defender blocked it on the line.
The home side were awarded a penalty on 15 minutes after a defender was judged to have handled a cross but Pennery’s spot kick was saved by Attwood. The corner was almost converted by Kane O’Keefe but his shot was hacked away off the line.
Four minutes later it was Ryan Wilkins’ turn to see an effort on goal blocked on the line, and the midfielder had two other attempts at trying to knock the ball home when it dropped to him in the box but both were blocked by defenders.
Sherborne suddenly created two chances at the other end of the pitch around the half hour mark. Declan Cornish’s shot hit the outside of the post and keeper Steven Mowthorpe had to be alert to claim a dangerous looking cross from Alex Murphy with away attackers lurking close by.
The Royals went close again on 34 minutes when Conor Bailey’s cross found Charlie Williamson 25 yards out but Attwood pushed his shot around the post. The corner found O’Keefe but his header was cleared off the line.
Portchester’s struggles to break the deadlock continued into the second half, with Harrison Brook putting his shot from the edge of the box straight at the keeper, and the striker had another effort beaten away after good work from James Cowan and Pennery to set him up.
Sherborne had their chances again too. Cornish curled a shot from 15 yards out straight at Mowthorpe and Ben Wood then intercepted the ball as the Royals tried to play their way out of defence but he guided his shot wide of the target.
The winning goal came on 62 minutes, just two minutes after Pitman’s introduction to the game as a substitute. The ball was played into the centre of the pitch after good work from Brook and Pennery on the left. Oil Davies drew a number of defenders towards him before laying off the ball into the path of Pitman, who hit his shot low across Attwood and into the far corner of the net.
Portchester had the ball in the net on 83 minutes when Pitman knocked the ball down to Davies, who fired it home, but it was ruled out for a foul in the build up.
In stoppage time Pitman had the opportunity to grab a second goal when the ball found him on the right side of the penalty area but a defender blocked his shot behind for a corner.