Image: Kai Kilcoyne slots home from the spot, his 5th on the night.

Match report by Dave Ring.

Pre-Season Friendly – Tuesday 29th July, KO 7:00pm
Camp & Satherley Stadium, Grove Road.

Portland United Reserves continued their impressive pre-season preparations with a resounding 12–0 win over Chickerell United on Tuesday evening under the lights at the Camp & Satherley Stadium.

The game started brightly for the Blues, with Kai Kilcoyne opening the scoring in the 10th minute with a well-placed finish. Just two minutes later, Kilcoyne doubled the lead, giving Portland an early cushion. The Reserves kept up the pressure, and new signing Sonny Cleaton added a third with a composed strike in the 32nd minute, giving the home side a 3–0 lead going into the break.

The second half began much like the first ended, with Portland on the front foot. Within four minutes of the restart, Cleaton bagged his second of the evening, followed shortly by Kilcoyne completing his hat-trick with a superb effort from just outside the box. In the 62nd minute, Kilcoyne netted his fourth, before Josh Hanger opened his Portland account in the 72nd minute, making it 7–0.

Further goals followed from another new addition, Preston Hepburn, and a young under-18s player, whose name unfortunately wasn’t recorded at the time of writing, taking the score to 9–0.

A late penalty allowed Kilcoyne to calmly slot home his fifth, before he added a sixth in the 88th minute with a pinpoint free-kick that ricocheted in off the post. In added time, Sonny Cleaton rounded off the scoring, and his hat-trick, to seal a commanding 12–0 win for the Blues.

While the scoreline suggests a one-sided affair, it should be noted that Chickerell United, who play six leagues below Portland, never dropped their heads and continued to work hard throughout the match. They deserve great credit for the way they approached the game, and they contributed to a competitive and spirited evening of football.

Portland United Reserves were in blistering form and looked sharp across the pitch, with several new signings making an immediate impact and young players stepping up impressively.

We thank Chickerell United for making the short trip to Grove Road and wish them every success in their upcoming campaign.