FIXTURES FEBRUARY 1st/3rd
Tuesday February 1st
Surrey Saturday Premier Cup
Ash United 0-6 Metropolitan Police Res
Premier Division
Alresford Town 2-6 AFC Portchester
Amesbury Town 1-1 Hamworthy United
Brockenhurst 4-2 Portland United (Match report)
Cowes Sports 2-0 Baffins Milton Rovers
Fareham Town 0-2 Horndean
Hamble Club 2-2 AFC Stoneham
Hythe & Dibden 0-3 Bashley
U.S. Portsmouth 3-3 Moneyfields
Division One
Andover Town 5-0 Downton
Fleet Spurs 1-2 Laverstock & Ford (Match report)
Romsey Town 0-2 Folland Sports
Wednesday February 2nd
Premier Division
Blackfield & Langley 1-1 Alton
Division One
Fawley AFC 0-1 Bemerton Heath Harlequins
Thursday February 3rd
Southampton Senior Cup 2nd Round
Brockenhurst 5-1 Ringwood Town
This midweek’s football was almost entirely devoted to League matches with eight Premier Division games on Tuesday. Pick of the fixtures was at Cams Alders where the meeting between the two highest scoring teams in the Division, the visit of League leaders Horndean, and Fareham’s ability to attract large crowds meant that 374 people saw the visitors strengthen their position with a two goal victory, both scored by Connor Duffin thus taking his tally for goals in the League thus far this season to thirty one.
Amesbury and Hamworthy United met for the second time in four days but Hamworthy could not repeat their victory in the first match as Amesbury secured a very creditable point in a one all home draw with Alex Noone scoring for the Wiltshire side and Connor Cocklin for the title challengers. Brockenhurst entertained Portland at the Meadens Skoda Arena and the visitors scored the first and last goals of the evening through Joel Hewitt and Josh Williams but goals between those two from Keiran O’Donnell two, Silvano Obeng and Lyle Simpson gave the home side the points. Baffins Milton Rovers poor run continued as they went down two nil at Cowes - a welcome win for the Yachtsmen - with goals from Fin Phillips and John McKie, their third consecutive defeat and only two points from their last five games.
Bashley continued to state their claim for a place in the season end honours with a three nil win at Hythe and Dibden courtesy of goals from Lewis Ross, Harry Bunce and Adam Gtange, leaving the home side still somewhat adrift at the bottom of the table. AFC Portchester were the highest scorers of the evening with a six two victory at Alresford. Doubles for Lee Wort and George Barker backed up by Rafa Ramos and Connor Bailey with Harry Barkaway and Mike Gosney – a long time since that last name was mentioned in these pages – on target for the hosts.
AFC Stoneham made the short trip to Hamble Club and shared four goals and the points with Jamie Ovington claiming both the home goals and Callum Laycock and Matt Bainbridge the visiting marksmen. In one of the many local derbies in Portsmouth this season US Portsmouth and Moneyfields drew three apiece at the Victory Stadium with six different goal scorers, Tom Dinsmore, Dan Sibley and Cameron Quirke for the home side and Tyler Moret,Dec SeIden and James Franklyn for the visitors.
Andover Town moved to the top of Division One with a five nil defeat of Downton at the Portway. Ryan Griffiths opened the scoring after just thirty nine seconds and went on to complete a hat trick with David Jerrard and Geotge Higgins also on the scoresheet. Fellow title contenders Follands maintained their position with a two goal win at Romsey, never an easy place to get all three points, thanks to strikes from Will Genge and Nathan Grey and Laverstock and Ford climbed into the top five with a best of three goals success at Fleet Spurs. All the goals came in the first half with Kai Francis claiming the home goal and Archie Lovegrove and Russ Jones netting for Laverstock.
Just one Cup fixture on the evening in the Surrey Premier Cup, a Competition that has never previously graced any report, with Ash United going down six nil at home to Metropolitan Police Reserves who are members of the Suburban League.
Mention has already been made of the attendance at Fareham and a further five Premier Division fixtures topped the three figure mark whilst the Andover Town/Downton game attracted close to two hundred. More proof that the Wessex League is thriving.
Just two matches on Wednesday, one in each Division. In the Premier Division, after a goalless first half, Karol Skoczen gave visitors Alton the lead at Gang Warily only for them to concede an own goal and give Blackfield and Langley a share of the points. Just one goal a mile or so up the Waterside at Fawley scored by Justin Bennett from the penalty spot and that was enough to give visitors Bemerton Heath the three points which returned them to the top of the table.
Finally a rare Thursday fixture to complete the midweek with Brockenhurst, despite having played on Tuesday and with another game to follow on Saturday, fielded a strong line up in beating Ringwood Town five one in the Second Round of the Southampton Senior Cup, Silvano Obeng scored two, there were penalties from Mitchell Speechley Price and Joe Chamberlain and an own goal with Charlie Hitchings getting the Ringwood consolation.
