Baffins Milton Rovers on brink of promotion thanks to Steve Ledger’s 14-game Hampshire Combination winning streak

The clubs’ second strings face each other at the On-Site Group Stadium – a week before their first teams face off at the same ground in the Wessex League Premier Division.

While a point would be good enough to ensure a top two finish, Baffins boss Steve Ledger is desperate to maintain his 100 per cent league run.

Rovers have won all 14 league games since Ledger returned to the club last September - and that after Baffins had lost their opening two fixtures!

After losing their first game 1-0 to Fleetlands, Rovers then lost 2-0 at home to Portchester.

But they bounced back to thrash Fleetlands 6-0 in Ledger’s first game and have carried on winning ever since.

His squad is a mixture of youth and experience, with the latter provided by the likes of former Pompey midfielder Nick Awford and George Burgess.

Ledger has brought a handful of youngsters who he managed at Hampshire Premier League club Paulsgrove - goalkeeper Taylor Revy, Archie Scott, Louie O’Brien, Daniel Lambe and Lewis Shann.

First teamers needing minutes have also played, with Rob Evans, Dan Aitken and Brad Gale all featuring in recent weeks.

Ledger was assistant to first team boss Steve Leigh when Baffins finished fifth in the Wessex Premier and won the Wessex League Cup in 2018/19.

Those are feats that current first team manager Danny Thompson can emulate this term, but Ledger can see a big difference in the club between then and now.

‘In my eyes it’s come on massively,’ he told The News. ‘There’s the rebranding of the clubhouse, the new changing rooms - everything’s going in the right direction.

‘The future is massively bright at Baffins. Hopefully in four or five years time the first team will be in the Southern League and the reserves would be in the Wessex.’

Recalling his time under Leigh, Ledger added: ‘There was a reserve team but there was a bit of a divide, it felt like there was a reserve team and a first team. There wasn’t the inter-linking there is now.

‘Now there’s a one club feel, rather than a reserve team and a first team. It’s a really good feeling.

‘Liam Brewer and Harry Fox have gone from being with the reserves to becoming fairly established in the first team squad.’

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Brewer, who was top scorer for Baffins’ under-18s when they won the Hampshire Development East Division title last season, is making a big impact in the first team.

Handed his first Wessex start at Bournemouth Poppies this month, he promptly scored twice. And then he repeated the feat on his second start, at Cowes Sports.

Ledger continued: ‘Nick Awford is a very big part of the club, he should be pushing for a first team place next season.

‘He’s the nicest guy you can meet, but once he crosses that white line he’s got a bit of tenacity. He’s a brilliant role model for the youngsters, he never grumbles about anything - I could ask him to sweep the dressing rooms and he would.

‘George Burgess is the same, he’s been absolutely outstanding. Without him, we wouldn’t be where we are.

‘Taylor Revy will be a Wessex League goalkeeper in two years' time, his progress over the last 12 months has been unbelievable. His whole game has improved, and he’s been helped by our goalkeeping coach Dan Binks.’

Baffins are nine points ahead of the Royals’ second string, who leapt into second place last week when Blakely Fairweather’s hat-trick gave them a 3-2 win at Folland.

Fleetlands, though, are only a point behind Portchester with three games in hand and look favourites to finish in the top two alongside Baffins.