PO SF2 Portland United 2 Andover New St 0

22 April 2026

I’ve said before that it takes a particular kind of nutter… I never thought I’d be going to Sherborne as a neutral, but then there was a sunny Easter Monday afternoon… but Portland, as a complete neutral, on a Wednesday night?  A new definition of madness!  Playoffs, though… another game which I approached as a genuine neutral, just hoping that both teams would adopt the same positive approach as Hamble and Lavvy on Tuesday and, as I said then, not die wondering.  One side-note for this one – I commented in my season review on how impressed I was that Stoneham had put recent disappointments aside and delivered the season of their lives.  Similar applies to Andover New Street, in a slightly different way.  Last year they suffered the twin heartbreak of losing in the FA Vase semifinal, and then the playoff final.  Easy for a team to drop heads, or to break up… instead, they’re back in the playoffs, so full marks to them.  While Hamble were obvious favourites in the first semi (not that it turned out that way), this was a closer game to call; slight advantage to the hosts, perhaps, especially as “it was a bit breezy”, even for the Camp & Satherley (one of the better grounds in the league, it must be said).  But for how much longer…

It would be unfair to say that the wind was the winner this evening; but certainly, the winners were the team who played the conditions better.  Portland – turned round at the kick-off – were always more comfortable and operated throughout as a unit, supporting each other well and superbly disciplined off the ball.  Andover New Street had some moments, but they were individual rather than team moments, and ultimately that made the difference.  The opening stages were quite even – on 9 minutes, Archie Woolford with quicksilver feet to shift the ball to a hosting position, well saved by emergency signing Hill.  Up the other end and a clearance bounced kindly for Ollie Erdinc, who shot just wide.  But on 13 minutes, a moment of magic for the Blues, Jack Delves collecting the ball on the edge of the box and hitting a perfect, curling shot into the top corner, keeper no chance.  Gadsby made a great challenge to block Dotse who might have been in on goal… but on 24 minutes Portland had a corner, taken into a crowd of bodies at the back post, headed down and in by Callum Corbridge for 2-0 and, in all honesty, that always looked likely to be enough.  Street were frustrated, exemplified by Dotse’s late challenge on keeper Steiner-Reid.  Yes, he had every right to contest the ball, but the keeper got there first and Dotse didn’t pull out of the challenge, his foot was very high – he got a yellow and he might consider himself slightly fortunate.  One fine move down the left for the visitors, Lock with a deep cross, met by Rawkins on the volley but just wide, would have been a superb goal.  But the hosts almost extended their lead right on the whistle when a free kick cannoned off a couple of players and came to Nixon – his firm shot was goalbound but deflected wide.  HT 2-0

The Swifts, now playing with the wind, really needed an early goal to get back into the game, but they couldn’t create any real momentum and the task always looked beyond them.  Instead, it was Portland who looked the more likely; Hill made a good early save from Jenkins after Street had lost the ball in their own final third; then Remus Nixon, tireless up front for the hosts, lofted a clever pass to Jenkins, another fine save.  Maybe Hill had therefore deserved his luck: 57 minutes, his attempted clearance hit Nixon but bounced wide.  Nixon again, all action, with an intelligent run across his defender on the hour and his glancing shot very well saved by Hill down at his near post.  Andover had one half-chance in this period when a long ball found Dotse, but he was crowded out by keeper and no fewer than three defenders before he could get a shot away – a perfect example of the teamwork which was winning through.  Portland were content to sit back, stay organised and play on the counter; they were comfortable enough, and might have made it safe on 76 when Nixon, again, played in Coombs whose shot was blocked behind.  Somehow, even with the wind, the visitors never quite seemed to be throwing the kitchen sink; they did win a few corners (and every set piece is a danger when you have someone to deliver with the quality of Jake Rawkins) but the closest they came was a header, pushed over by Stainer-Reid.  No idea who that was through the melee of bodies I’m afraid!  Into injury time and one final long throw, missed by a defender, Clancy missed his kick on the angle and finally, after 8 minutes of overtime, it was done.  FT 2-0

Excellent crowd of 580, including a good contingent from north Hampshire.  No doubt Portland would deny that this was comfortable, and they did have to work for it; but work they did, all over the park, hunting in packs and decidedly the better side on the night.  Remus Nixon had a great game leading the line but this was a proper team effort.  Street, having gone on a great late run to confirm their play-off spot, couldn’t quite make a game of it, and as a spectacle it was a disappointment after the epic on Tuesday (quite apart from the strong, cold wind!).  So at the weekend it’s once more into the wind-machine, Portland v Lavvy for a place in the Southern League.