Hampshire Premier League

Senior Division

Saturday 22nd February 2020

Kick Off 16.30 Actual 16.31

Liphook United 0 Infinity 4, attendance 33

26’ 0-1

62’ 0-2

66’ 0-3

82’ 0-4

@ Front Lawn Community Hub, 3G Pitch

Somborne Drive

Havant

PO9 5AN

No Admission or Programme.

It seems ridiculous that Liphook United played their ‘home’ game some twenty miles from their base, on a hired 3G pitch, but at least the unusual late kick off meant it gave me a double today and also completed visits to all the Hampshire Premier League grounds for me, as this is where Denmead play their matches in Division 1.

I saw Infinity lose 4-0 away at Bush Hill on the last day of last season, in what was a title decider, with both teams going into the match level on points, but with Bush Hill having the better goal difference. It looks very much like it being a two way battle for the title between the same two clubs this time round as well. Infinity came into this match unbeaten in the league this season, topping the league table, with 18 wins and 3 draws from their twenty one games. Bush Hill are currently third in the league table, some 15 points adrift, but they have four games in hand.

Infinity were just too good for Liphook (8th in the league table) in every department. Somehow, it took twenty six minutes before the breakthrough was made, when a cross from the right was headed in from six yards. It should have been all over by halftime, but Liphook rode their luck and it was still only 0-1 at halftime. The second half was more of the same and it was a case of just how many Infinity would score. Just after the hour mark it was all over. Two more headers, the first from a corner and the second headed past the ‘keeper at the near post, four minutes later, made it 0-3. The final goal came eight minutes from the end with a shot on the run finding the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.

The gap remains the same at the top of the league table after this as Bush Hill beat second placed Paulsgrove 5-1 today.

Hampshire Premier League

Division 1

Saturday 22 February 2020

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.08

A.F.C. Petersfield 2 Michelmersh & Timsbury 3, attendance 10

18’ 0-1

26’ 1-1

45’ 1-2 (pen)

77’ 2-2 (pen)

87’ 2-3

@ The Petersfield School, 3G Pitch

Cranford Road

Petersfield

GU32 3LU

No Admission or Programme.

I try to avoid doing 3G pitches on a Saturday, preferring to save them in case they host a midweek match, or even do them for friendlies at the start of the season, as games in cages don’t really feel like proper games. I only chose to break the rule today as it meant a double was possible and both matches were more or less guaranteed to go ahead.

This wasn’t really a one off venue. A.F.C. Petersfield normally play home matches at Love Lane (on a pitch adjacent to the ground of Petersfield Town) where I visited on 18th March 2017, seeing them lose 0-1 to Upham. They have now played five home games (out of 11) here at The Petersfield School. Today was their last home match of the season, due to there being just twelve teams in this division.

With this being second bottom versus fourth bottom in the league table, I wasn’t expecting great things. I was expecting a rather better match than the one these two very poor teams put on though. Neither team had much idea and quite how five goals were scored is a mystery. M & T took the lead with a free kick that went straight into the net with little attempt to block it. Petersfield levelled with a goal out of nothing, when a turn inside the centre circle saw their striker race clear and score with a shot off the inside of the far post. A penalty on the stroke of halftime made it 1-2 to the visitors, before Petersfield levelled through a penalty of their own, making it 2-2 with thirteen minutes left. A draw would have been a fair result, but a 25 yard free kick into the top corner of the net won it for M & T three minutes from the end.

Having kicked off eight minutes late, plus numerous injuries (mostly fake)it meant this didn’t finish until dead on 16.00. Luckily it was only eighteen minutes drive to my second match.