Royal Navy dumped from Portsmouth Senior Cup following defeat to AFC Portchester

The Royal Navy senior men's football team will not be defending their Portsmouth Senior Cup title after a 4-0 loss in their semi-final fixture against AFC Portchester.

A different looking Navy side compared to their Inter Services line-up, skippered by Saul Thorpe, the Senior Service put on a resilient display against the newly crowned Wessex League Premier Division champions.

An early goal by Portchester's Josh Clack put the Navy side 1-0 down, but a strong display in defence soon followed and the Senior Service created several chances late in the first half.

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Their defensive display continued into the second half, where at times they frustrated the host team.

But it was only a matter of time before Portchester found a way to break the deadlock, and it was striker Lee Wart who found a way through to give Portchester a 2-0 lead.

It was at that point that Portchester began to show why they are the Wessex League champions, as goals began to come in their flurries.

Substitute Harrison Brook positioned himself perfectly inside the box to target the bottom right corner, which Navy keeper Dane Rigby struggled to intercept.

Minutes later, midfielder Ryan Pennery positioned himself in the same position as Brook and again targeted the bottom right corner to score the home team's fourth goal of the game.

At full time, the Royal Navy had to accept a 4-0 defeat after a clinical display by AFC Portchester in the latter stages of the second half.

As the cup-holders, this result means the Navy will not progress onto the final to defend their Portsmouth Senior Cup title.

The result also spells an end to the Royal Navy's football season, as they look ahead to rebuilding their squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.