AFTER DRAWING 1-1 IN THEIR LAST GAME AGAINST WACKY ROLLER S OF LAYOU THE CONCRETE AND STEEL BOMBERS OF PORTSMOUTH KNEW THAT LOSING AGAINST THE NEWTOWN HARLEM WOULD SURELY WIDEN THE POINTS GAB BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT RUNNERS. HARLEM CAME INTO THE GAME ABOUT 3 POINTS AHEAD OF BOMBERS AND WERE SEEKING A MUCH NEEDED VICTORY AFTER DRAWING THEIR LAST MATCH AGAINST THE DUBLANC FOOTBALL TEAM LAST WEEKEND. WITH THE FIRST HALF BEING KICKED OFF JUST ABOUT 7:15PM ON THE BATHE ESTATE PLAYING FIELD IT WAS A HALF FULL OF CHANCES FOR THE PORTSMOUTH TEAM WHICH WASITED NO TIME AND WERE ON THE FRONT FOOT WHERE THEY KEPT BOTH THE HARLEM DEFENDERS AND THEIR KEEPER BUSY BUT FINALLY THE BREAK THROUGH CAME ABOUT 28 MINUTES INTO THE MATCH WHEN THE AWAY SIDE WON A CORNER AND JEROME THOMAS BEING ON THE END OF A WONDERFUL LET FOOT SHOT FROM JUST ABOVE THE SIX YARD BOX AND THE AWAY SIDE WAS UP 1 NEIL ON THEIR BITTER RIVALS. THE HARLEM SIDE KNEW THEY COULDN’T HAVE ALLOWED ANY MORE SLIP UPS DURING THE MATCH AND THE TENSION BETWEEN THE HARLEN TEAMMATES ROSE AND YOU COULD HEAR THE CONFUSION AND THE ARGUMENTS BETWEEN THEIR PLAYERS. HOWEVER THEIR WAIT FOR A GOAL SEEM TO BE MATERILIZING AFTER THEY HAD WON A PENALTY JUST ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER CONCEDING THE FIRST GOAL OF THE MATCH. THE BOMBER GOAL KEEPER KISH ELIZEE WAS UP TO THE TASKING IN KEEPING OUT FROM THE PENALTY SPOT ONE OF HARLEM MOST SKILLFUL PLAYERS HOWEVER THE PORTSMOUTH KEEPER GOT INJURED IN THE PROCESS AND THE GAME WENT ON A STANDSTILL FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES. SOON AFTTER THE RESTART THE HARLEM TEAM WAS ONCE AGAIN KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF THE PORTSMOUTH GOAL BUT THEIR WAS NO BREAK THROUGH WITH KISH MAKING A NUMBER OF SAVES WHICH WAS REQARDED WHEN EDDIE THOMAS OF THE CONCRETE AND STEEL BOMBERS MADE CONTACT WITH THE BALL AND SENDING IT PASS THE HARLEM GOALKEEPER BECAUSE THE HARLEM DEFENCE WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE BALL FROM DANGER. EDDIE THOMAS HAS BEEN IN GREAT FORM OF LATE AND THE PORTSMOUTH TEAM WAS CRUSING IN THE FIRST HALF BY TWO CLEAR GOALS. HOWEVER THE HARLEM TEAM HAD THE FINAL SAY IN THE FIRST HALF WHEN ONE OF THEIR MIDFIELDERS POUNCED ON A BALL WHICH WASN’T CLEARED BY THE BOMBERS DEFENCE AND IT WAS 2-1 ON THE STROKE OF HALFTIME.
IT WAS THE START OF THE SECOND HALF WHEN THE NEWTOWN HARLEM TEAM CAME STORMING FORWARD IN SEARCH OF AN EQUALIZER BUT WITH THE BOMBERS BACKLINE ESPECIALLY YOUNG DEFENDERS LIKE ALDRIN AND MALCOM BEING VERY RESILENT AND THEIR YOUNG AND UPRISING KEEPER MAKING SAVE AFTER SAVE THE POSSIE TEAM KEPT THEIR LEAD IN TACK. THE GAME STARTED TO BECOME VERY TENSE AND YOU COULD FEEL THE ATMOSPHERE ON AND OFF THE FIELD RISING WITH THE NEWTOWN FANS URGING THEIR TEAM FORWARD IN SEARCH OF AN EQUALIZING GOAL BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THEIR FITNESS LEVEL BEGAN TO TAKE EFFECT WHEN THEIR STARTED TO LOSE FOCUS AND WERE UNABLE TO STRING PASSES TOGETHER. HOWEVER THE BOMBERS TEAM WAS LOOKING TO PUT THE GAME TO REST WITH TEDDY REVIERE AND ORIS MILLS MISFIRING OR NOT HITTING THE TARGET AS THEIR WOULD HAVE LIKED. COMING DOWN TO THE LAST MINUTES OF THE GAME THE PORTSMOUTH TEAM MADE THEIR FINAL SUB IN ORDER TO FRESHEN UP THEIR PACE AT THE FRONT AND DROPPING ONE OF THEIR STRIKERS IN THE MIDFIELD BUT DIDN’T FIND THAT ALL IMPORTANT COMFORT GOAL. THE BOMBERS TEAM WAS EXPECTING THE FINAL WHISTLE AFTER A LONG FAUGHT BATTLE WITH THEIR BITTER RIVALS, AND THEY GOT THEIR WISH WHEN THE REFEREE BLEW THE WHISTLE FOR THE FINAL TIME IN THE MATCH AND THAT MEANT THAT THE PORTSMOUTH TEAM ARE NOW LEVEL ON POINTS WITH THE HARLEM TEAM AND COULD BE AHEAD BASED ON THE GOAL DIFFERENCE OF BOTH TEAMS.