Champagne on ice as Horndean miss chance to claim title glory
Michael Birmingham believes Horndean’s punishing schedule finally caught up with them as a thrilling Wessex League title race is given a momentous last-day finish.
The Deans would have been crowned champions had they beaten Bemerton Heath Harlequins at Five Heads Park on Saturday.
But in what was their seventh game in just 19 days, Birmingham’s history-chasers suffered a 2-1 defeat to a Bemerton side that could still win promotion themselves.
The title destiny is still in their own hands, though – beat visiting Portland tomorrow night and Horndean will be champions.
After a goalless first half in front of a crowd of 531 – easily the Deans’ biggest home league crowd for several years – Bemerton took control through goals from Danny Young and Stuart Green.
Rob Taw headed a late consolation as Horndean failed to win at home for only the third time in 18 league games this season.
As for Bemerton, they have now won 14 of their last 15 league games, losing only to Moneyfields.
Defeat ended a stunning run of 11 successive Premier Division wins for the Deans.
Indeed, Stoneham – with a 1-0 win at Five Heads Park – had been the only team to have taken points off them in their last 18 Wessex games.
‘We looked very leggy, very tired, very lethargic,’ said Horndean boss Birmingham.
‘I don’t think it was down tonerves.We’veplayedSaturday, Tuesday, Thursday – it’s taken its toll.
‘My players have been magnificent, we’d won 11 in a row. We were 14 points behind Portchester and to chip away at that and now lead by a point is a phenomenal achievement.
‘But we never got going (against Bemerton).
‘That’s not to take anything away from Bemerton, they totally deserved their win. They were hungry, had better energy levels and more enthusiasm.’
That wasn’t too surprising given Horndean had been in action less than 48 hours earlier, winning 2-0 at Baffins Milton Rovers.
‘We huffed and puffed but everything (we did) was in front of Bemerton,’ said Birmingham.
‘We didn’t give them enough problems. They have some experienced players and that experience told.
‘They worked extremely hard to nullify us.’
Horndean were without top scorer Zack Willett against Bemerton due to a foot injury.
Birmingham said the striker had been playing through the pain barrier for several weeks with the problem.
It hadn’t stopped him from replacing Portchester’s Brett Pitman as the leading Premier marksman – his brace against Brockenhurst last Tuesday and his strike at Baffins taking his league tally to 45, one more than the former Pompey star.
But it was sufficient to rule him out against Bemerton.
‘Zack was heartbroken (that he couldn’t play),’ reported the manager. ‘But he’ll have an injection and hopefully will be available on Tuesday.’
Despite their loss to Bemerton, Horndean are virtually assured of a top two finish due to their stunning threefigure goal difference.
Though the top four are separated by just three points, realistically only Horndean and second-placed Portchester can win the title.
Portchy will win it if they beat Bemerton away tomorrow and Horndean fail to beat Portland.
The Royals, though, could also finish fourth if they lose at Moon Park and Stoneham beat rock-bottom Alresford.
Only the champions are promoted automatically to the Southern League Division 1 South.
The runners-up will travel to a step 4 club next Saturday for a play-off final.
Bemerton, who were playing in Wessex 1 last season, will finish second if they beat Portchester – unless Stoneham rewrite the record books by scoring 20-plus goals at Alresford.
*Baffins Milton Rovers produced a remarkable fightback to win 5-4 away to Christchurch in a nine-goal Wessex Premier thriller.
Danny Thompson’s side recovered from 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 down to claim a dramatic victory thanks to Charlie Oakwell’s 92nd-minute winner.
Tom Vincent (2), Kelvin Robinson and Ed Sanders also netted for Baffins, who still have a chance of finishing fifth.
Moneyfields hold that position at the moment and a point away to third-bottom Bournemouth tomorrow will be enough to seal it – unless Baffins win by 14 goals at second-bottom Pagham.
Moneys drew 1-1 at home to Cowes Sports on Saturday. RyanPennery’sclose-rangefinish gave them a 52nd-minute lead only for Cowes to level.