Infinity serve up an early warning
Wheatcroft starts with an impressive win at Hayling
Infinity served notice they will again be the team to beat in this season’s Hampshire Premier League Senior Division title race. They were on course to win promotion to the Wessex League in 2019/20 – having gone 24 league games unbeaten – before the pandemic wrecked their dream. Now under new manager Gary Wheatcroft, they lifted the curtain on the new campaign with an impressive 4-1 win at Hayling United last night. The Humbugs were on an eight-match winning streak when life went into lockdown in mid-March, and are widely fancied to surprise many top sides this term. But they had no answer to a strong Infinity performance which included impressive displays in all areas of the pitch at Hayling College in front of a good-sized crowd. In a frenzied opening period, there were three goals in the first 12 minutes before Infinity sealed victory with two fine strikes in the second half. The lively Danny Phillips could have scored in the first minute, but after latching onto a Wayne Boud pass he fired against keeper Chris Clark’s legs. But the visitors were ahead on seven minutes when Jamie White’s intelligent pass set Phillips free to tee up left winger Yusapha Badjie to stroke the ball into an empty net. Hayling were level within two minutes, Sam Neal curing a delightful rightfoot shot into the top corner past debutant keeper Anton Blake, newly signed from Moneyfields. Infinity regained the lead two minutes later when Clark brought down Phillips. There was no doubt it was a penalty, but the hosts were adamant Wayne Boud had committed a foul seconds earlier. Boud himself stepped up to finish confidently to Clark’s right. Phillips was a danger throughout, and four minutes into the second half he made it 3-1. He received a long throw from captain Josh Cripps and, after one defender had committed himself too early, he turned past another challenge before poking the ball past an onrushing Clark.
White – slimmer than last season and playing in the hole between midfield and sole striker Phillips – completed the win on 65 minutes.
After being fouled, he picked himself up and curled a lovely free-kick over the wall.
Having scored 91 goals for Infinity in the past two seasons, the former Southampton striker will again be a key man for his side in the coming months. Hayling enjoyed good possession in the second half but lacked a cutting edge, with Blake not having a decent save to make.
The nearest the
Humbugs came was when a low cross flashed across Blake’s six-yard box, but no-one could turn the ball in. At the other end, Clark booted a clearance straight at White, who was unable to force the ball in from close range, while late on Clark saved another White effort from close range at the expense of a corner.
If anyone had arrived at Hayling College expecting Infinity to be suffering a hangover from missing out on promotion a few months ago, they were to leave disappointed. Starting XIs Hayling: Clark, Frost, Elmes, Wheatcroft, Wilson, Clasby, Bishop, Topple, Rough, Neal, Watts. Infinity: Blake, Fields, Fitzhorswell, Sibley, Cripps, Oxlade, Boud, Parker, Phillips, White, Badjie.