It was quite a night for Gosport Borough and in particular Rory Williams on Wednesday.
Trailing to an early goal against Weymouth, the visitors were presented with an opportunity to double their advantage on 25 minutes when they were awarded a penalty.
Goalkeeper, Ryan Hall, stepped up to the plate by making a fantastic save, but in doing so sustained an injury which forced him to leave the action.
With no substitute goalkeeper on the bench, Rory Williams volunteered his services between the posts and his presence inspired the team to chalk up an entertaining 4-3 victory.
“I was only saying to someone a week or so ago that goalkeeper was the only position I had never played in during a competitive match before,” Williams told us. “At least I can tick that off now! It was a case of needs must; I’ll get stick, but at least I had the guts to put my hand up and volunteer.
“Hally doesn’t have to worry about his place being under threat, but we won and added another three points to our tally, end of story.
“I had no hesitation in volunteering. My mindset was very much ‘I’ll do it!” I’ve got a thick skin so I knew that if it was a disaster, I would be able to take it.”
The victory keeps the club in amongst the front-runners with ten wins from 18 games so far.
“We’re doing okay,” added Williams. “The only pressure we feel is the pressure that we put on ourselves. We don’t take any notice of the external noise; we just get on with the task in front of us.
“Given the rather erratic start to the season we had, we are happy that we’ve been able to drag ourselves into a good spot. I have experience of being at both ends of the table, and this kind of pressure is the best to have!
“This is a really open League. The teams at the top are closely bunched and there is so much to play for at both ends of the table.
“There are teams struggling that people thought would be up there and it has opened up the opportunity for others to shine.
“Personally, I just want to play as many games as I can. I’m under no illusions that my playing days are coming to an end, so I want to win games and help the younger lads learn quickly and properly.
“If we can have a good year and win something, it would be a nice way for me to sail off into the sunset!
“We had a lot of changes on and off the pitch over the summer and it took some serious adjustment. Things are starting to click now, though. We’ve got quite a young side here, with a few older heads involved for good measure, and as long as we are competitive and keep everyone fit, we have half a chance.
“Given our current position, we should be thinking that the play-offs are realistic, but there is still an awful long way to go.”
A short trip to Dorchester Town awaits Williams and his team-mates at the weekend.
IMAGE: @IanMiddlebrook
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