PORTLAND UNITED 1

BLACKFIELD & LANGLEY 2

FORMER Terras’ assistant Tim Sills came off the bench to head home the winner for Blackfield & Langley and sink Portland United, in a defeat boss Gary Bailey admitted was “tough to take”.


The former Torquay and Aldershot man, who linked up with the Watersiders after leaving Weymouth in the summer, proved the difference three minutes from time in a highly competitive contest at Grove Corner.


“To have it snatched away from you in the 87th minute was galling really,” Blues’ boss Baley told Echosport.


“It made it tough to take. 


“They are a good side, it will take a good side to beat them this year and I think if someone beats them to the title then they fully deserve it. 


“We were disappointed to lose but I am very proud of the lads for the performance they put in.” 


In front of a healthy crowd of 208, the Blues got off to the perfect start on two minutes. Having pressed the visitors intently, Ryan McKechnie managed to win possession and tee up Jamie Beasley, who fired home to put the island outfit in the box seat at half-time. 


But Blackfield upped their game and came out all guns in the second period. 


The Watersiders were enjoying large chunks of the possession but, just as it seemed as if the hosts were dealing with their attacking threat, the away side showed their quality. 


A clever free-kick routine on the edge of the Portland box, with the ball slipped down the side of the defending wall, allowed former Poole Town man Carl Preston to fire into the net on the angle to find the equaliser. 


Soon after, Portland were forced into a goalkeeping substitution as Sean Lillington pulled a hamstring and was replaced by Ashley Weeks.


At the death, the Blues conceded a corner and a teasing delivery found its way to Sills, who got up in trademark fashion at the back post to power a header into the net to win the game.


Bailey added: “It hurts a little bit but I said to the lads afterwards ‘be disappointed, but don’t be downhearted by it’. 


“They all gave me everything they had and, at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask of your players, to give everything for the cause. Every one of them did that.


“They proved to me and themselves that we are rightfully where we are. We deserve to be in this league, we can hold our own in it, and hopefully as the season wears on we will prove that.


“If we keep playing to that standard week in and week out then we will do alright this season, for sure.”


Blues: Lillington (Weeks 53), Smith, Carmichael, Bessant, Clarke (Bastick 65), Watts, Doidge, Halloran, Godfrey (McClements 75), McKechnie, Beasley. Subs not used: Morris, Bearwish
Attendance: 208
Match ball sponsor: Steve Cribb
Programme sponsor: Quiddles Café – Barbara Perry