AFC Portchester must end long Bemerton unbeaten home record to stand any chance of winning Wessex League title

The Royals - who have topped the Premier table for virtually the entire season - simply have to win at Bemerton Heath Harlequins on Tuesday to keep their hopes of automatic promotion alive.

A Portchy win in Salisbury and Horndean’s failure to beat visiting Portland would see orange ribbons draped around the silverware.

If Deans lose, the Royals draw and Stoneham win at rock bottom Alresford, all three clubs would finish level on 95 points.

In that remarkable scenario, Deans would be crowned champions and Portchy would finish third if Stoneham won by more than a single goal against an Alresford side who have only bagged five points from 37 fixtures.

Dave Carter’s Portchester won 24, drew two and lost just one of their first 27 Wessex fixtures.

But a few late-season blips - losing to Moneyfields and Horndean at home and drawing with Baffins and Fareham - have allowed the Deans to take over top spot.

Portchester’s task at Bemerton is an imposing one, as the Harlequins are the only Wessex Premier club still protecting an unbeaten home league record in 2022/23.

Indeed, they are one of only three clubs in the 16 step 5 leagues in England still unbeaten on home soil.

The others are Hellenic Leaguers Malvern and Northern Leaguers Newton Aycliffe.

Bemerton are one of only eight clubs in the top nine tiers yet to lose at home in league action.

The others are Wrexham (National League), Workshop (Northern Premier League East), Hashtag (Isthmian League North), Chatham (Isthmian League South East) and reigning Wessex League champions Hamworthy United (Southern League Division 1 South).

Harlequins last lost a home league on January 15 2022, 2-1 to Andover New Street in Wessex Division 1 action. Since then, they have rattled off 20 wins (14 this season) and four draws (all this season).

Bemerton have only lost three league games this season - all by a 2-1 margin (at Portchester in stoppage time, at Stoneham and at Moneyfields).

They have managed to maintain a promotion challenge - and a prolific scoring record - despite losing top scorer Reece Rusher, at the time their leading scorer, to Southern Leaguers Frome Town in January.

While top two Horndean and Portchy boast two players with 89 league and cup goals between them, Bemerton’s seasonal leading league marksman is 21-goal Greg Peel.

He is responsible for just 17.5 per cent of his side’s league goals, compared to Portchester and Horndean where Brett Pitman (38.2 per cent) and Zack Willett (36 per cent) dominate.

The Wessex Premier champions will be automatically promoted to the Southern League Division 1 South, with the runners-up joining them if they win a play-off match at a step 4 club this coming weekend.

*Hamworthy have completed a second successive season unbeaten at home in league action.

After winning 18 and drawing two in the Wessex Premier in 2021/22, they won 13 and drew six in their first step 4 campaign this term.

Astonishingly, the Hammers are unbeaten at home in league action for over three years.

The last time they lost a home league match was on January 18 2020 when Fleet Town won a Wessex fixture 3-1.