Gloucester City manager Daf Williams praised his team following a solid 2-0 away victory against Gosport Borough on Wednesday night.
City dominated the first half, controlling possession and creating numerous chances, but couldn’t find the net before halftime. The breakthrough came in the 68th minute when Harry Pinchard curled a stunning shot from outside the box into the top-left corner, giving the visitors the lead.
Fifteen minutes later, Gloucester doubled their advantage through Kane Simpson, who skillfully turned with his back to goal before firing home. Simpson’s goal marked a successful return to the lineup after a brief absence.
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Gloucester maintained their 2-0 lead, securing a valuable three points on the road against a Gosport team that had won six of their last seven home matches.
Williams said, “It’s a good win and a good performance. The lads were very good today. We want to dedicate this one to our supporters because our away form hasn’t been good enough. You see the same faces traveling week in, week out, and this win is for them, as well as those who couldn’t make it tonight but have stood by us through a demanding period.”
He added, “We’ve had many away games where we’ve played well but not got the results. Tonight was a performance that matched the result, so we’re really pleased. It was quite a complete away performance, but it’s just one game, one win — we have to keep going on Saturday.”
This victory also marked Gloucester’s first clean sheet in 10 games. Williams emphasized the defensive improvement: “We’ve been craving a clean sheet for a while. We were frustrated at Tiverton, Sholing, and even Walton with how those games ended. We’re pleased with the clean sheet and with Thompson’s performance, but everyone deserves credit for their part tonight.”
Looking ahead, Williams stressed the importance of consistency: “Our away form hasn’t been good enough, so we need to back this up for the rest of the season. But for now, I want the players to enjoy this feeling — coming away from home, producing that kind of performance, and keeping a clean sheet. Ultimately, though, we focus on Saturday’s game.”
Lineups:
Gosport Borough: Blackledge, Williams, Wassmer, Tomasso, Ngalo, Kasimu, Fernandes, Greenwood (Read 60), Buse, Kavanagh, Taylor.
Gloucester City: Thompson, Thomas, Mohammed, O’Regan, Lewis, Wildig (Siddall 89), Pinchard, Hanks (Spence 78), Phillips (Baidoo 84), Watts (Day 89), Simpson.
Attendance: 704
Referee: James Kerten