AFC Stubbington hit Rowner Rovers for six to win Mid-Solent Football League's Oscar Owers Cup - picture gallery

Midfielder Joe Fields struck a hat-trick as Stubbington romped to a 6-1 final victory over Rowner at Horndean’s Five Heads Park on Bank Holiday Monday.

Tom Knibbs, Charley Houghton and James Waite were also on target as the team completed their second cup win in three years.

Stubbington had not played since early March, after which they conceded a Len Day Cup tie due to a lack of players and their final three MSL fixtures for the same reason.

But they had no problem finding enough players for the cup final, and coach Dean Knibbs is hoping commitment levels will be better next season.

‘If you sign on we need commitment,’ he said. ‘If a player is available for 75 per cent of the time, I’d be happy with that - understandably, they have their own lives.

‘It becomes unenjoyable if you’re having to text players the night before a game, saying ‘please can you play?’

Knibbs and manager Charlie Barley have run the team since most of the players were seven or eight years old.

‘All of them are only 22 or 23,’ said Knibbs. ‘They’ve come through the youth system.

‘They’re all mates, and we try to have a curry night two or three times a season.

‘I played football when I was younger, but I never had the family feeling that there is about this team.’

The cup final win over Rowner was only Stubbington’s fifth game of 2023. Due to bad weather and a mid-season break, they didn’t play at all between December 17 and early February either.

Stubbington had previously won the 2020/21 Len Day Cup final, beating Carberry 1-0 at Westleigh Park.