Harvest Home boss tells players to forget about all-Mid-Solent League Hampshire Vase final ahead of ‘massive’ month

Mitch Austin in action for Harvest Home against West Wight. Picture: Vernon Nash

Mid-Solent League Division 1 leaders Harvest recorded a thumping 7-0 semi-final win over West Wight Reserves.

It helped Harvest set up a date with MSL title rivals FC Strawberry for the right to retain the silverware they lifted last season when it was known as the Hampshire Junior A Cup.

However, boss Ogilivie stressed his team – chasing five trophies this season in all - must put the Vase on the backburner.

Mitch Frost on the ball for Harvest Home against West Wight. Picture: Vernon Nash

Harvest, who have won each of their 21 matches in all competitions in 2019/20, travel to Meon Milton in the Father Purcell Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

Attention then turns back to the league, where they face third-placed Wymering and second-placed FC Strawberry over successive weekends.

‘I’m ecstatic but we haven’t won anything yet,' said Ogilvie.

‘It’s great to have got to this stage of the competition for a second year in a row.

Remi Cake on the ball for Harvest Home against West Wight Reserves at Cowplain Schoo. Picture: Vernon Nash

‘I wasn’t associated with the club last year, so this is all fresh and new for me.

‘I’m very excited.

'We’ve got to the Hampshire final, that’s done.

‘But we need to forget that and focus on what is to come.

Mitch Frost fires in an effort on the West Wight goal - the keeper couldn't hold the ball and Luke Musselwhite pounced to give Harvest Home the lead in the Hampshire Vase semi-final. Picture: Vernon Nash

‘We have to focus on another cup game this weekend and then our focus goes back to the league.

‘If we get the results we would like against Wymering and Strawberry, that’s the league done in my opinion.

‘We can start focusing on the other cups then.

‘It’s such a massive, massive month - it just gets bigger and bigger.

Jake Daniels on the ball for Harvest against West Wight. Picture: Vernon Nash

‘The more games we go unbeaten, the more the pressure builds.'

Former AFC Stoneham striker Luke Musselwhite got the opener to give Harvest the interval advantage over their Isle of Wight-based visitors.

But they really came into their own after the interval with Zak McGregor (2), Mitch Frost, Michael Austin, Nathan New and Kev Pottage all netting.

It was a second-half showing that Ogilivie described as the 'best from the team' in his time at the club.

‘I’m confident in my players,' he added. ‘I know I’ve got the squad to be very successful this season.

‘But I’ll keep saying it, it’s down to them. They have got to do the job themselves on the pitch.

‘How we performed on Saturday, it was probably the best second half performance I’ve seen a Harvest Home team produce.'