Portsmouth boys soccer sneaks past Exeter

EXETER - On a crisp Thursday evening under the lights, the Portsmouth High School boys soccer got a win over rival Exeter, 1-0.

The victory was big for Portsmouth, as the Clippers lost to Bedford the game prior. This game was a must-win for Portsmouth (5-5) to get its season back on track.  

Portsmouth had a strong start to their season, as it won vs. Alvirne and vs. Timberlane, but that win streak was cut short as the Clippers dropped their next four games. Building back a winning record has been an uphill battle.

Exeter (1-6-1) is coming off a string of close losses, as the Blue Hawks recently tied or lost in matchups vs. Manchester Central, Winnacunnet, Nashua South and Portsmouth. As a team, they are feeling the pressure to gather more victories, which made this matchup vs. Portsmouth even more significant. 

From the start, both teams came out aggressive in their play. Exeter’s reaction time to the ball was impressive, as Portsmouth had several key breakaways during the first half. Both teams saw time near the net but struggled to score. There were many close attempts for both teams but by the end of the first half the score still remained 0-0. 

Portsmouth took advantage of the 10-minute break during halftime and came out incredibly strong to close out the game. The Clippers took advantage of playing at home, as the crowd was loud and very expressive.

With about 10 minutes into the second half, eruptions of excitement and cheers filled the stands – Portsmouth finally scored. For a second the home crowd was ecstatic, but they quickly turned upset as the refs called back the goal. 

Shortly after the Portsmouth fans still remained frustrated as the refs made a few calls they didn't agree with. However, this fueled Portsmouth’s fire and its style of play noticeably changed. The Clippers were more hungry than ever to score.

With about eight minutes left in the game, Portsmouth scored off a corner kick. The fans were beyond excited. Exeter was in crunch time now if it wanted a chance of winning this game.

But for the remainder of the game, Exeter struggled offensively and saw little time near the net. It seemed that the Blue Hawks' momentum from earlier in the game dwindled. Portsmouth remained in control as the game clock wound down. 

Exeter will look to regroup this weekend as it is slated to play Bedford on the road Saturday afternoon. Portsmouth has a short break in between games and will play Windham on Oct. 3.