BROCKENHURST 0

PORTLAND UNITED 3

PORTLAND United continued an impressive run of form with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Brockenhurst led by Ryan McKechnie who scored a first-half hat-trick.

It was the perfect start for the visitors who took the lead after just two minutes, when a breakaway down the left flank found Alex Godfrey, who crossed the ball in for McKechnie whose effort took a deflection of the defender to give his side the lead.

Things got even better just four minutes later when the tireless McKechnie ran onto a short back-pass, and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to give Portland a 2-0 lead early doors.

Although it will be McKechnie who steals the headlines, Godfrey was instrumental in the victory as he led the line single handedly and barely put a foot wrong all game.

After 39 minutes the lead was extended once again as the hat-trick hero capitalised on a sloppy ball across the back four, as he intercepted and ran through the cap a perfect first half performance.

Despite not adding another in the second half, what followed was a thoroughly professional display which saw Portland remain in complete control, nullifying the minor threat which Brockenhurst posed, while working to catch them on the counter to see out a comfortable victory, and one which delighted manager Gary Bailey.

He said: “We couldn’t have asked for a better start to be honest. It got us into the game and we went on and dominated.

“It’s so important to start well, it’s something we often talk about in the dressing room and it was a dream to not only get one, but to get the second goal it just gives you that ability to settle down and play your football.

“In the second half they came out and had ten minutes where they had nothing to lose so they threw a bit at us but we weathered the storm and didn’t look in any danger.

“Once the opposition go 2-0 down at home you know they have to take risks and take chances which gives us the chance to pick them off on the break, which is exactly what we did.”

Bailey also had some kind words for the day’s stars Ryan McKechnie and Alex Godfrey.

He said: “Ryan is an important player. He has bags of energy and he’ll always get himself into goal-scoring opportunities because he’s a willing lad who is full of running.

“He deserves his goals and it was nice that he got the hat-trick, but it was a team performance and Alex must get a mention, because I feel for him, his performance deserved a goal and he did everything right.

“I can’t be any more delighted, it was a fully dominant performance.”

Blues: Mullis, Doidge, Whyton, Carmichael, Clarke (Bessant 70), Halloran, Buckler, McKechnie, Beasley (Smith 60), Bastick (Watts 60), Godfrey