Portchester clinch double silverware with Hamble win
By Connor Steel
AFC PORTCHESTER guaranteed themselves a second trophy of their 2024/25 campaign as they played Hamble Club for the Velocity Wessex League Cup Final on Bank Holiday Monday (May 5); eventually beating their division opponent two-nil following a “professional and dominant” display enjoyed by over six hundred fans at the On-Site Group Stadium.
It was a steady start under overcast skies and took until seven minutes for an opening as Lee Wort played a lovely ball across to find Ryan Pennery who was brilliantly stopped by a defensive clearance. It was followed by Braydon Douglas running through on goal and being fouled in a dangerous spot, but this resulting free-kick was wasted from the left side.
The Royals settled down this early scare and saw Pennery curl wide on twenty-four minutes before a quick offside flag denied another attempt moments later. Hamble did respond well to their pressures and began to press in attack, which led to initial success when Nicolas Yeomans won the ball in a threatening possession only for his shot to flash far wide.
Proceedings passed the half hour mark as Marley Ridge did well to control a fine long pass forward and tried to lob the Hamble goalkeeper Henry Newman, who was alert and backtracked enough to push the shot away. But he wasn’t able to stop Portchester from scoring through Ridge before the break; the midfielder curling home a finish just inside the net.
Gav Spurway’s side came out quickly upon the restart as they should have doubled their lead within eighty seconds of the second half; Pennery and Ridge having fierce efforts parried by Newman in a double save to be proud of. Spencer Spurway further went close after 52 minutes as he blasted wide off target after Pennery’s cross deflected into this path.
Hamble made substitutions after the hour mark as a bid to stop the ‘flow of play’ and this did work for a spell as William Gange drove narrowly wide of the left post, whilst Pennery went close when he volleyed wide from Ridge’s flick header. But this was followed up by a slight lull in proceedings with both sides avoiding risks going into this final fifteen minutes.
The next shift in momentum came from Portchester as they nearly scored after seventy-six minutes when Ryan Wilkins won the ball and fed into the foot of Wort, whose shot was saved quickly by Newman to his side. But the Royals sealed this victory with 4 minutes left when the striker jinxed in the box and tucked home to make it 2-0, which is how it stayed.
Victory means that Portchester are one of five sides to earn the Wessex Division and League Cup in the same season; a feat that hasn’t been done since Winchester back in 2003/04. They could be celebrating a treble later in this week as they travel to AFC Stoneham on Thursday evening where the two teams will contest the Russell Cotes Cup Final clash.
PICTURED BY AFC PORTCHESTER MEDIA: Players celebrate with trophy on the pitch after this victory over Hamble.
