Pennery bags another treble as Moneys clinch first Wessex title

Ryan Pennery fired another hat-trick as Moneyfields celebrated winning the Wessex League title for the first time in their history.

His sixth Premier Division treble of the season helped Moneys to a 4-2 victory at play-off hopefuls Laverstock & Ford.

Strike partner Callum Laycock was also on target at The Dell as Moneys became the first Portsea Island winners of a league which began in 1986.

The title success comes seven years after Moneys finished the season in top spot - but ended up second to Portland after having three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player.

In terms of competitive goals, Laycock leads Pennery by 43 goals to 42. But in terms of Premier goals, it’s Pennery who is now out in front 36 to 35.

Both forwards have been prolific in the final weeks of the season - Pennery netting 16 times in his last nine league games, including three trebles, while Laycock has scored 10 in his last eight Wessex outings.

Moneys now have 98 points with two games left and are nine points ahead of second-placed Stoneham.

Had they not had three points deducted for failing to fulfil a fixture when a groundshare deal at Portchester was pulled, they would already have a century of points by now.

Moneys face Fareham on Thursday – officially an away game which is being played at Oaklands Park in Chichester - and bring the curtain down on a memorable season at home to Sherborne on Sunday (1pm). Victory over the Dorset club would see Moneys complete a 100 per cent home record – 20 wins in a row – which would be the first time such a feat has ever happened in the Wessex Premier.

That’s an ever more remarkable achievement considering Moneys don’t actually possess a ‘proper’ home due to the delays in completing the John Jenkins Stadium development at their former Dover Road ground.