Four-star Baffins cap season to savour by securing cup triumph
Simon Carter
BaffinsMiltonRoversbrought the curtain down on a memorable season by lifting the Wessex League Cup for the second time in their history.
Danny Thompson’s men came from behind to beat Petersfield Town 4-2 and deny the Rams a Division One playoff final win and cup double.
No-one can say Rovers did not deserve the silverware – they had reached the final by playing four successive away games and knocked out two clubs, AFC Portchester and Stoneham, who went close to winning promotion to the Southern League.
And all that after Thompson was left with just two players – Jason Parish and Ed Sanders – from the side that finished 2021/22 under Shaun Wilkinson.
‘I was expecting to have a few more than just those two,’ the boss recalled. ‘I was thinking “bloody hell, what am I doing?”
‘We lost our first three league games (at home to Hamble, Stoneham and Portchester, conceding nine goals in the process) but I always knew with the players I’d signed we’d come good, and they proved that.
‘We’ve gone further in the FA Cup than the club had ever gone before, and further in the Hampshire Senior Cup than they’d gone before.
‘We finished seventh in the league (two points behind fifth-placed Moneyfields), which was a place higher than we did last season.
‘If someone had said to me last summer we’d come seventh and win a trophy I’d have said they’re having a laugh.
‘But we’ve worked hard and thoroughly deserved it, we haven’t winged it.
‘We’ve done it the hard way – we went to Portchester when they were flying and won and went to Stoneham who hadn’t lost at home all season and won (on penalties).’
Having not played since a 1-0 Premier loss at Pagham on April 25, Rovers started slowly against a Petersfield team who had won the Division One play-off final at New Milton the previous weekend.
Alex Barsa put the Rams ahead with Parish levelling just before half-time.
Two goals in three minutes after the hour mark – from Miles Everett and Tom Vincent – put Rovers in control.
Kieran Alcock pulled one back but Vincent sealed Baffins’ victory with a late fourth – his 19th league and cup goal of the season.
‘It took us a while to get going,’ said Thompson. ‘Petersfield took the lead and rightly so.
‘We managed to nick one just before half-time, a good time to score. There were a few words said at half-time. In the second half we played with a bit more intensity, pressed them higher than we’d done in the first half.
‘In the end our quality shone through.
‘It was a real collective effort, the whole squad put in a proper shift. The lads deserved it. It was never going to be an easy game, Petersfield have had a great season.’
In addition to the Wessex Cup win, Baffins reserves have won the Hampshire Combination East Division title.
‘The club’s in a good place at the moment,’ said Thompson. ‘I would like every single one of the players I’ve signed to stay on for next season.
‘If we can add three or four more players then in terms of the play-offs we won’t be far away.’