Hampshire Premier League

Senior Division

Wednesday 3rd April 2019

Kick Off 18.15. On Time !

Athletico Romsey 1 Bush Hill 11, attendance 24

19’ 0-1

29’ 0-2

32’ 0-3

36’ 0-4

41’ 0-5

45’ 0-6

48’ 0-7

52’ 0-8

67’ 0-9

73’ 1-9

77’ 1-10

78’ 1-11

@ Hatches Farm Sports Ground

Romsey Road

West Wellow

SO51 6EB

No Admission or Programme.

This ground has hosted Hampshire Premier League matches in the past, when it was home to Wellow, but I never made it here to see them play. Athletico Romsey had been trying to get this game called off, saying that they were struggling to get a team out for the 18.00 scheduled start, but agreed to play it when the league moved the game back by fifteen minutes to an 18.15 kick off. I feared the worst when I arrived at 17.05 to find the ground deserted and the gate to the car park padlocked. At 17.21 Bush Hill arrived, then over the course of the next half hour the home players arrived in dribs and drabs.

With it being a particularly gloomy night and the fact that it was now raining, the Referee decided to play 2 x 40 minute halves, despite kicking off on time. The rain got heavier as the game went on, but finally stopped with about ten minutes left. With a quick turnaround at halftime, which lasted just about three minutes, the game was done and dusted by 19.39, where the light was still reasonable, but it might not have been if they had tried to get the extra ten minutes in.

Athletico are bottom of the league table, having taken some real thrashings, including an 11-1 hammering against Bush Hill in the reverse fixture. To be fair to them, they never gave up and made Bush Hill work really hard for all their goals and arguably they scored the goal of the match with a thunderbolt of a free kick that gave the ‘keeper no chance.

This win puts Bush Hill (4 games to play) top of the table, ahead of Paulsgrove on goal difference. Paulsgrove only have one match left, at home to Bush Hill, but even if they win that, it probably wouldn’t be enough to take the title. Infinity (5 games to play) are the real challengers, as they are in third place, six points behind, but with a game in hand. They have a goal difference worse by 24, but do have to play Athletico at home yet. If both teams keep winning it sets it up nicely for the last game of the season…….Bush Hill v Infinity.