Baffins ‘blow it wide open for everyone’
Rovers end Hamworthy’s undefeated 21-game Wessex Premier run
Shaun Wilkinson reckons Baffins Milton Rovers have thrown the Wessex League Premier Division title race wide open with their 2-1 triumph over Hamworthy.
First-half strikes from Harry Sargeant and top scorer Rudi Blankson saw Baffins battle back from behind to inflict a first Wessex Premier defeat on the Dorset club this season.
The statement victory saw Wilkinson's fourth-placed side close the gap on new leaders Brockenhurst - who climbed to the summit after Horndean dropped down to second following their loss at Shaftesbury - to six points with two games in hand on them.
After the weekend's results, the Wessex Premier top six are separated by just 10 points.
And the Baffins boss insists his troops are one of six teams he feels could go on and lift the title.
Wilkinson said: ‘We won’t get carried away, it’s just another win a long season. You see how tight it is at the top - there really is no room for error - but I feel after beating them (Hamworthy) we really have blown it wide open for everyone.
‘I feel we’re probably one of six teams who are in the race, teams at the top - us being one of them - we’re making a bit of a gap of it now and getting away from everyone.’
Baffins' hopes of becoming the first team to defeat Hamworthy in the league looked a long way off when Cam Munn fired the visitors ahead on 10 minutes.
But Sargeant reacted quickest to fire home on the rebound after 34 minutes before Blankson's stunning strike - his 16th of the season - would prove the winner just three minutes later.
And Wilkinson was full of praise as Baffins battled back to record a mighty impressive victory - after coming from 0-3 down to beat Blackfield 4-3 in their previous home league match.
He added: ‘‘It was a really good result, really pleasing, fantastic from the players again - I’m running out of words to give to them, they’re impressing me that much.
‘The main thing with them, we’re going goals behind - we went a goal behind again (against Hamworthy) - but it’s the calmness, resilience and togetherness to keep going and just backing their own ability. They’re a joy to manage at the minute, I’m really, really happy with them.’
Baffins’ win ended Hamworthy’s 21-game unbeaten Premier run stretching back to November 3, 2020. They had won their last three league games of last term before winning 13 and drawing five of their opening 18 fixtures in 2021/22.
It was only the Hammers’ second league loss in 33 matches, and only their third in 30 league and cup games this season.