Ashford Town secured a 2-1 victory over AFC Portchester on Saturday, ending Portchester’s unbeaten league run and moving Ashford above the Royals into sixth place in the Southern Central Division One standings.

The match, played at Portchester’s home ground, saw Ashford take the lead early on when Arif Bala broke free from the Royals’ defence and fired a shot past goalkeeper Kieran Magee from the edge of the area in the sixth minute. Portchester responded swiftly, leveling the score just five minutes later through Jason Prior. The goal came after a corner from Brandon Haunstrup found Prior, who finished from close range.

The decisive moment came nine minutes into the second half when Ben Mulley put Ashford ahead. He capitalized on a right-wing cross to slot the ball home, securing the winning goal for the visitors. Despite persistent efforts from Portchester throughout the remainder of the match, they were unable to find an equalizer. Ashford substitute Gassem Benelghazi came close to extending the lead with a powerful 20-yard shot that narrowly missed the target.

The result marked a significant outcome as Ashford Town disrupted Portchester’s otherwise unbeaten league campaign, highlighting their rise in the division while halting the Royals’ momentum.