Modus Hopper Random: Portchy's Day at the PO Man's Derby

Tuesday, 26 August 2025

Portchy's Day at the PO Man's Derby

The e-programme is downloadable as a pdf file

Hopperational Details

Date & Venue

Monday 25^th August 2025 at The OnSite Group Stadium, Wicor Recreation Ground

Result

AFC Portchester 4 Moneyfields 0

Competition

Isthmian League Division One South-Central (Step 4)

Hopstats

#804 on the lifetime list. Here because I am in the area for the Bank Holiday weekend.

Context

A local PO-postcode derby for the Bank Holiday Monday. AFC Portchester are up in Step 4 after promotion as champions from the Wessex League last season. They have three points from three league matches (one win). Moneyfields have a win and a draw, so four points. Two days ago Portchy lost at Bedfont Sports and Moneyfields shared the points in a 4-4 draw with Hayes & Yeading United.

Match Report

Before I forget, be warned that the car parking amount charged by the PayByPhone app was significantly more than the amount implied on the notice boards. If you go hopping here (well worth it) take plenty of change, and go early if you want to park near the ground. It's an interesting arena and the club made a lot of effort to look after a Bank Holiday crowd. You can imagine how the facilities have grown step-by-step as the club moved up through the pyramid.

This was a game of two halves. The home team scored all four goals before the interval and the points were in the proverbial bag. The opening goal after five minutes was a gift from the visiting defence after the ball was lost in an attempt to play out from the back in the modern way. Alfie Stanley rolled the ball into the unguarded net. The second came from number 11 after 11 minutes. Zak Willett found himself in lots of space, he cut back inside the approaching defender, and the pic below shows him shaping to place the ball in the far corner.

The third was pinged in from 45 metres or so (you get proper physics units in this blog) by Stanley who picked up the ball in midfield and had spotted the keeper off his line. The fourth was arguably the best of the lot, thrashed from the left into the far corner by Ryan Wilkins. So, 4-0 at half-time.

I moved to the stand on the opposite side in search of shade for the second half, with temperatures around 303K (that's the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature right there) which is more commonly known in this country as 30 degrees C. Maybe because of the temperature, maybe because the demolition job was already done, but the second half was anticlimactic. Moneyfields never gave up and were allowed plenty of possession, but they had only really created one decent chance before the 75-minute mark. Portchester didn't look too concerned once they had weathered the first ten minutes or so of the second half.

For me at the final whistle, it was a race back to the Yappmobile for what turned out to be a tortuous return journey around the dreaded M25 western section. Good day though, decent entertainment for the passing neutral and plenty of other culture, history, scenery and interest in the general area. Recommended if not already ticked!

So What?

The clubs end the day in 6^th and 18^th place.

Pre-match Entertainment

A circuit of Portchester Castle, watching oystercatchers feeding on the mud flats, a stroll along part of the English coastal path (and, I suspect, disturbing a couple in flagrante behind a tree), looking across towards Portsmouth, and stopping for an ice-cream at the nearby Salt Café. Insert your own joke about Portchester's defence looking solid.