Horndean boost goal difference with club record Wessex League annihilation of rock bottom Alresford

Zack Willett struck a first-half hat-trick before being replaced at the interval by Connor Duffin, who also went on to bag a treble.

Tommy Scutt (2), Chad Field and Harry Jackson were also on target as Horndean beat the 9-0 pastings handed out last season to Christchurch and Cowes.

The Deans are now one of three clubs locked together on 71 points - Bemerton and Stoneham are the others - but occupy second place due to their goal difference of plus 78.

All three of those clubs are 10 points adrift of AFC Portchester, but Horndean hold two games in hand and still have to visit the On-Site Group Stadium next month.

The formbook well and truly pointed to a home win last night with Alresford rock bottom and having lost 24 successive Wessex fixtures.

So it turned out as Horndean tore into the Magpies, taking the lead inside two minutes through Willett.

It was 2-0 on 11 minutes, Willett converting a penalty, and the hosts were 5-0 up inside the opening half-hour.

The defeat meant that Alresford’s 9-1 loss at Stoneham would no longer go down as their heaviest defeat of a horror campaign.

It was the third time the Magpies had conceded eight or more this season - they also lost 8-1 at Portchester on a day when Brett Pitman bagged four.

Horndean boss Michael Birmingham told The News: ‘We knew they would be short on confidence and we wanted to put them to the sword.

‘Goal difference could be so important at the end of the season - it could be worth an extra point. We wanted a lot of goals.

‘It’s hard for players playing in games like that. When it becomes too easy there’s always a chance they could take an extra touch, take liberties. Credit to the boys that they kept going.

‘We said at half-time there were still more goals there. The boys didn’t stop hunting, there was a bit of hunger, a bit of ruthlessness.’

The final few weeks of the Wessex Premier season should be a fascinating watch.

Birmingham declared: ‘With their record, Portchester should have won the league by now.

‘It’s great testament to Horndean, Bemerton and Stoneham that they haven’t.

‘What Stoneham have done is a fantastic achievement. Little old Horndean, what an unbelievable achievement. And Bemerton only came up last year.’

Horndean’s record win last night has taken their league goal tally to 96. They need 21 goals in their last 10 games to set a new club Wessex record, passing the 116 scored last season.

They also need just 13 points to set another new club Wessex record, while they are almost certain to set yet another one in terms of fewest goals conceded in a season. They have only let in 18 so far, compared to their previous best of 43 (also set in 2022/23).