The match failed to live up to the pre-match excitement in the early exchanges, despite Poole taking the lead in the 10th minute. A well worked corner routine saw
Jamie Whisken power a header home to give the hosts the lead.

But there failed to be another chance of note until almost half an hour into the game. Boro’ began to look dangerous with a succession of corners as AJ Harris-Sealy and Billie Busari were constantly causing Poole problems down the right.

Mason Walsh saw a stinging shot blocked and when Harry Kavanagh found some space down the right, he hit a fantastic early cross finding Dan Wooden, though he was perhaps too far from goal as his header was easily taken by Mark Childs in the Poole goal.

Poole then grew into the game and continued to look dangerous in the air as they saw a header narrowly over the bar in the 32nd minute. Four minutes later, Bert White pulled off a stunning save to deny Poole a second, making himself big and denying a close-range effort.

However, the hosts had a penalty just a couple of minutes later. Rory Williams was adjudged to have handled the ball to the protests of Gosport’s players. Will Spetch’s spot kick was too powerful for White as the hosts went two up.

Gosport looked for a way back into the game before the break with Mason Walsh finding space down the left, however, his low cross couldn’t be controlled by Dan Wooden and a couple of minutes later, Rory Williams saw a free kick from 25 yards out smothered by Childs.

With a two goal deficit to chase, Boro’ started the second half brightest. Busari headed wide and Luke Hallett saw a powerful shot from outside the box that looked destined for the goal, blocked within the first 10 minutes.

On the hour mark, Matt Paterson was introduced for Busari in a move that saw Boro’ look more attacking and five minutes later, the change in tactic appeared to pay off. Harry Kavanagh’s corner put Childs under considerable pressure and he seemed to punch the ball into his own net to give the visitors a route back into the game.

But Gosport failed to build on their goal. Poole moved their wing backs back into a flat back five and nullified Boro’s attacking threat. In the 71st minute, White had to be sharp as he saved a deflected shot well.

Ten minutes later, Poole should have had a third to put the game out of sight. Luke Pardoe looked bright after coming off the bench and after beating Kavanagh down the left wing, he found Spetch in the centre. Though the make-shift striker seemed to think he was still paying centre-half as he ballooned an effort way over from very close range.

Boro’s final roll of the dice saw Ryan Pennery introduced for Kavanagh as Shaun Gale put three centre forwards on in the search for an equaliser. But there was to be no repeat of the stoppage time drama from the first game of the season as Ryan Woodford saw an effort blocked by one of his teammates in the final minute in Gosport’s only chance of note in the closing stages.