BUOYANT Blackfield & Langley moved to within three points of Sydenhams Premier leaders Moneyfields with a dominant 2-1 victory over the Portsmouth visitors at Gang Warily this afternoon.

Goals by substitute Ed Zanin and the experienced Liam Green put paid to the Money men who, by their assistant boss Graeme Gee’s own admission, were beaten by the better team on the day.

“We froze and Blackfield were way too good for us,” Gee admitted afterwards, The Watersiders made a late change to their starting line-up with young goalkeeper Jack Nicholson filling for the unwell Scott O’Rourke.

Moneyfields, beset with midfield injuries, took five minutes to work their way into the game and, once they did, teenage hotshot Alfie Rutherford delivered a useful cross from the right which was just too high for Stuart Green.

Blackfield responded with a cleverly disguised Dan Cann pass to Jake Rowley to the right of the six-yard box but Moneyfields veteran keeper Dave Hook denied him with a strong save.

Blackfield survived a couple of handball shouts as Moneyfields encamped themselves in their area, but the Watersiders broke and Ekow Elliott tested Hook with an awkwardly bouncing strike from distance.

Steve Hutchings, the league’s leading marksman, put a couple of headers and a shot wide but, despite getting their fair share of free-kicks, Moneyfields didn’t unduly trouble the hosts early on and Blackfield had useful get-out through Rowley and Danny Young down the right.

But the Watersiders suffered a blow towards the half-hour mark when Young went off injured, causing Elliott to switch over to the right while substitute Ed Zanin came on.

Before the game had settled down again Moneyfields were awarded yet another free-kick this time from inside their own half.

Tom Chapman delivered and the towering Hutchings headed it accurately on to strike partner Rutherford, who turned sweetly but his deflected shot went wide.

On 36 minutes Blackfield again made good ground down the right but Cann, well marshalled by two Moneyfields defenders, fell as he tried to turn onto Rowley’s low delivery into the box.

Blackfield finally made the breakthrough with 42 minutes gone and, inevitably, it emanated from the right.

Liam Green delivered the ball to Elliott and the lively wide man sent a low cross into the six-yard box.

Substitute ZANIN did the rest – the former Totton & Eling wide man going in with the keeper and prodding the ball home from close range.

Elliott wanted more of the same on 45 minutes but he fell under Chapman’s fair challenge after dancing his way across from the right and was booked for diving.

Moneyfields applied the stoppage-time pressure, but Jack Lee headed over from a corner and Nicholson, who shone on his debut, got down sharply to save Rutherford’s low drive.

Blackfield, who were fighting for every ball in difficult, slippery conditions, posed the first threat of the second half when powerful front man Cann laid it back for Liam Green to drill a low shot wide from 26 yards.

But there was no let-off for the visitors three minutes later when Liam GREEN advanced again and was this time picked out bt a precision ball from Michael Durdey before slipping an angled shot past Hook for 2-0 with 52 minutes gone.

The visitors nearly landed themselves in further bother when Chapman’s loose defensive pass was intercepted by Liam Green but Moneyfields managed to cut out his attempted ball to the lively Zanin.

B & L skipper Kev Gibbens then fouled Jake Raine some 25 yards from goal, but Moneyfields sub Ellis Martin’s free-kick drifted well wide.

The visitors kept going however and, but for a magnificent interception by Gibbens, Rutherford would have capitalised on a sweeping attack involving Hutchings and Raine.

The league leaders suffered another injury set back on 73 minutes when Chapman limped off clutching his hamstring and was replaced by George Thomas.

Blackfield went close to a third on 79 minutes when Rowley exchanged passes with Cann but got too heavy a touch as he shaped to shoot and the ball rolled through to Hook.

Elliott then squandered an even bigger chance after skipping through a couple of challenges inside the visitors’ area. He then tried to round Hook, but the experienced keeper flung himself at his feet and dispossessed him.

The end of the game became edgier than it needed to be for Blackfield when Moneyfields pulled back a late goal.

Jake Morgan – back from a nine-match suspension – delivered a free-kick to the far post where defender Lee smashed the ball home.

But it was too little too late for the league leaders as B & L held strong for a richly deserved win.