HORNDEAN’S hopes of moving closer to the developing title battle at the top of the Sydenhams Wessex League Premier Division were dashed by their derby defeat at Portchester on Saturday.

It was a crucial game for both clubs. The home side are looking to gain promotion to the Southern League and needed the win to close the gap on leaders Alresford. For Horndean it was a chance to gain ground on one of the top three sides in the division – victory would have put them just a point behind the Royals.

It was certainly a spicy derby encounter, and tackles were flying in during the opening exchanges as both sides looked to gain the upper hand.

Portchester went close to breaking the deadlock after only seven minutes when a ball from the left was allowed to run to Nathan Paxton on the edge of the area. He tried to guide his first time shot past Lloyd Thomas but the keeper had rushed off his line to be able to block it with his body.

Horndean went close to scoring when Connor Duffin hit a shot which almost swerved past Brad Snelling but the home keeper blocked the ball with his legs.

The Deans took the lead a minute before the interval after good build up play down the right saw a pass slipped inside the penalty area to send Ben Anderson clear of the home defence. He hit a low shot across Snelling and into the far corner of the net.

Portchester levelled the scores on 55 minutes when the ball was worked to Alex Baldacchino from a throw in on the right. The home striker rolled past his marker before hitting a low shot past Thomas and into the net.

The Royals didn’t have to wait long to get their second goal when the visitors failed to deal with a throw in from the left four minutes later. Good work from Dan Wooden saw him win possession inside the box and he passed the ball inside to Paxton who fired the ball home through Thomas’ legs from six yards out.

Although the match had started in dry conditions, the rain was now pouring down at this stage and conditions were getting slippery under foot.

On 63 minutes, Horndean should have been level. Dan Sackman’s cross-field pass picked out an unmarked Alfie Lis who had a free header on goal but he lost track of his position and guided the ball wide rather than in.

On 69 minutes desperate defending ensured Horndean didn’t snatch an equaliser. An inswinging corner was partially knocked clear by Snelling and the visitors tried three times to force the ball home from close range but defenders blocked the goal-bound ball on each occasion.

Horndean’s chances of staging a late comeback evaporated with ten minutes left when Jack Maloney was given his marching orders and Ash Howes was sent to the sin bin for his protests to the referee.