McInnes era starts with defeat

Boro' failed to deliver new owner Iain McInnes a winning start as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at Frome Town.

Gosport Borough failed to deliver new owner Iain McInnes a winning start as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at Frome Town in the Southern League Premier Division last night.

The ex-Pompey chairman, who took over at Privett Park yesterday, saw the current problems Borough face first hand against the Robins at Berkley Road. Goals either side of half-time from Jake Jackson and Jon Davies sealed Mick Catlin’s outfit’s fate.

Frome had the first sight on goal when the ball fell to Darren Jeffries after the visitors failed to clear a corner. However, the Robins forward drilled his shot wide of the far post.

Frome launched a counter-attack minutes later but Jackson sent his shot straight at Tom Price in the Gosport goal. On 23 minutes, the Borough shot-stopper was again called into action when he made an instinctive save to push away a fiercely-struck effort from Davies.

The pressure finally told four minutes later when an Ollie Knight’s cross was met by Jackson who slid his shot home.

Gosport were brighter in the second half and Conor Davies flashed a shot over the bar early after the restart.

Price was called in action again when he made a smart save to deny Joe Raynes after Catlin’s troops could not get rid of another corner for a second time. Nevertheless, Gosport were unlucky not to equalise when they launched a quick break and Jack Breed’s angled shot cannoned off the far post.

Borough continued to plug away and almost scored through Pat Suraci when his swirling cross flashed narrowly past the far post. But Frome killed off the visitors’ hopes of claiming a point eight minutes from time through Davies. The Robins midfielder squirmed a shot from inside the box under Price and into the net.

Report: Kevin Ricketts, The News