PORTLAND UNITED 2

Godfrey 15, Symes 31

BOURNEMOUTH FC 6

Finch 6, 21, 52, Flynn 8, 63, Cooper 38

PORTLAND United were condemned to a crushing 6-2 loss as 10-man Bournemouth Poppies completed a Sydenhams Wessex Premier League double over the Blues at the Weyline Stadium.

In a breathless first half, Poppies were in front after just six minutes through Mickey Finch, before Steve Flynn doubled the visitors’ advantage just two minutes later.

Brendon King’s men responded with a quarter of an hour gone, Alex Godfrey pouncing on the rebound from Samuel Jones’ fine stop to fire home at the far post.

The visitors continued to pour forward and Finch grabbed his second on 21 minutes to re-establish a two goal lead that lasted until the half-hour mark when Jamie Symes nodded home Jamie Beasley’s whipped cross.

Harry Cooper added a fourth before half-time during an opening 45 minutes in which six goals were scored.

And Poppies showed no signs of relenting in the second half when Finch grabbed his hat-trick and Flynn notched a second with a further third of the match to play.

There was still time for Bournemouth’s Chris Speers to see red as the away side backed up their 2-1 victory over Portland earlier in the season.

Speaking to Echosport, Blues’ manager King cut a frustrated figure, particularly as all six Poppies’ goals came from set-pieces or goal-kicks.

He said: “Defensively we were poor. As a unit, everything about it was not good. Going forward we looked alright, very shaky at the back.

“They deserved to win. Their goals came from long balls or set-pieces. I expect us to deal with them better and we didn’t.

“If they had actually scored some goals through good open play, I could accept it a little bit more, but I’m not going to accept stuff like that. It’s really poor.

“Going forward we looked dangerous and scored two. Their keeper made some good saves – we could have had more. It wasn’t great individually, collectively and defensively.

“You hold your hands up and we weren’t good enough on the day.”

King said numerous factors were decisive in conceding six goals.

He said: “A lack of concentration, application, individually switching off and ultimately it isn’t good enough. That’s not just the back four, that’s everybody – all accountable.

The result sees Portland slip one place to fifth, while Bournemouth move into sixth, up from ninth.

Blues: Tewkesbury, Bessant (Doidge 60), Walker, S Buckler, C Clarke, Bastick, McKechnie, M Buckler, Beasley (Stewart 70), Godfrey (Whyton 65), Symes. Subs not used: Butcher, Smith

Poppies: Jones, Aldhayan, Speers, Elsom, Ohameje, Cooper, Neronski, Saadi, Finch, Flynn, Gelschleichter. Subs: Zintany, Smith, Head, Langston, Roushbaiani

Attendance: 182

Match Ball Sponsors: Alan and Helen Petre

Programme Sponsor: Kennedys Body Shop Ltd

Mascot: Henry Rodd