Clanfield complete remarkable hat-trick of wins over Colden Common to take over top spot in Hampshire Premier League

Common entered the Premier Division game - held at Mansel Park in Southampton - having only lost twice in 46 league fixtures.

Both came against Clanfield at Westleigh Park and their artificial pitc - 4-1 in January 2022 and 2-1 the following August.

Now it’s three in a row for Lee Blakeley’s men after inflicting a first home league loss – and a first league loss on grass - on the Stallions since August 2021.

Clanfield enjoy a one-point lead, but Common have a game in hand and a superior goal difference - though only by plus four.

The game promised to be a tight affair - Common went into it protecting a 19-game unbeaten league run - winning 16 of them - while Clanfield had rattled off 12 wins in an undefeated 16-game HPL run.

Clanfield struck first through Fred Penfold on 20 minutes, with Common levelling from the penalty spot after Brandon Rogers was adjudged to have committed a foul.

Alex Bartlett regained Common’s lead before half-time, nipping in between a defender and the goalkeeper to score.

Jake Knight further extended Clanfield’s lead in the second half, converting a penalty after Bartlett had been fouled, with Common replying late on.

‘I couldn’t have asked for anything better,’ Blakeley told The News. ‘The way we prepared, the warm-up, the way we played - we were excellent.

‘If anything, 3-2 flattered them if I’m being honest. We thoroughly deserved the win - I couldn’t have been any prouder.

‘Full credit to the players. We can help them prepare, but they have to go out there in the right frame of mind.’

He added: ‘I’m not going to lie, it’s nice seeing your name at the top.

‘Am I surprised? Yes and no. We’ve put together a strong, competitive team that I think would do well at the next level.

‘It’s the old cliche, we’ll just take each game as it comes. We know it’s out of our hands but I feel the pressure is on Colden.

‘Hopefully some other clubs can do us a favour.’

Having taken over pole position, Blakeley knows Clanfield now have a bigger target on their backs.

He said: ‘I feel we’re used to that, due to playing home games at Westleigh.

‘Teams always try that bit harder when they come to us, so we’re used to that pressure. Bring it on!’

Blakeley took over as Clanfield boss in the summer of 2019, after they had just avoided relegation.

Facing QK Southampton in their last game of 2018/19, Clanfield would have finished second bottom had they lost. As it was, they won 4-1 with Harry Potter scoring all four goals.

Now, almost four years on, the club are dreaming of what would be a maiden HPL title success.

But even if they don’t finish top, they could still be playing in the Wessex League in 2023/24.

Stockbridge are the only other HPL club to have applied for promotion. To be eligible to go up, clubs have to finish in the top five - and Stockbridge are currently sixth, 11 points adrift of fifth-placed Harvest.

Even if Stockbridge did finish in the top five, Clanfield - providing they finished above them - would still be in the better position to be invited into the 10th tier.