Sparsholt Saints 3 Gosport Borough Development 0.

Sparsholt’s hard working Saints’ elite squad returned to their bowling green pitch at the college on Wednesday afternoon after playing on less than perfect surfaces at Oxford and Eversley and they got back to winning ways with a straight forward victory over Gosport Borough Development side.

A freak goal from Ed Chappe and strikes from Tommy Wright and Will Bateman were enough to beat Borough who had held the young Saints to a 2-2 draw back in February on a beach of a pitch at Privett Park.

It could have started very differently as Jermaine Engine took advantage of an error to set up fellow striker Jake Bull but home keeper Mark Childs did well keep it out then at the other end Chappe had an effort saved by Chris Dewey. Sparsholt were not to be denied but were handed the opener when Chappe won the ball on the half way line and his through pass to Oli Bailey went through to Dewey but he let it through his grasp and it rolled into the net. The keeper then redeemed himself by denying Hillary Ndagurwa but moments later it was 2-0 as Bailey and Wright engineered a short corner and the young midfielder smashed home with the aid of a slight deflection.

Neil Benson’s side were enjoying themselves and after Wright drove just over from another short corner Chappe had another effort go just wide on the half hour.

Gosport regrouped after the break and from another uncharacteristic error Dan Bruce broke through but again Childs came off best with a point blank save which proved to be Gosport’s swansong as the young Saints took control and from then on the visitors were reduced to walking pace. In truth the game petered out until ten minutes from time when Bateman threaded a shot home at the near post to wrap up the points.

It was left to Childs to preserve the clean sheet with another fine save from Bull as his side warmed up for Tuesday’s Floodlight Cup game with Moneyfields at the Portway.