Harvest Home’s Hampshire Vase win against Wymering ‘a great advert for local football – it was brilliant to watch’

Harvest Home maintained the only 100 per cent record left in local men’s football by reaching the semi-finals of the Hampshire Vase.
Nigel Mayo scores Harvest Home's second goal in their 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin ShippNigel Mayo scores Harvest Home's second goal in their 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin Shipp
Nigel Mayo scores Harvest Home's second goal in their 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin Shipp

The holders survived a late ‘hammering’ by Mid-Solent League rivals Wymering to claim a 2-1 success.

That was Harvest’s 18th successive league and cup victory of 2019/20 and kept alive their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple.

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They have won all 11 of the league games and are now through to the semi-finals of two cups - the Vase and the Len Day Cup.

Nigel Mayo celebrates scoring Harvest Home's second goal in their 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin ShippNigel Mayo celebrates scoring Harvest Home's second goal in their 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin Shipp
Nigel Mayo celebrates scoring Harvest Home's second goal in their 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin Shipp

Ray Ogilvie’s side are also in the quarter finals of the Father Purcell Cup, and lifted the curtain on their season by beating FC Strawberry 1-0 in the Billy Hill Cup final.

Ogilvie declared their latest success ‘as a fantastic game of football.

‘It was a great advert for local football in this area. It was just brilliant to watch.

‘It was what I would describe as a good old-fashioned game.

Wymering pile on late pressure against Harvest Home. Picture: Kevin ShippWymering pile on late pressure against Harvest Home. Picture: Kevin Shipp
Wymering pile on late pressure against Harvest Home. Picture: Kevin Shipp
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‘The tackles were flying in, there were no handbags - it was just a great game between 22 men.

‘Wymering are a great bunch of lads.’

Former AFC Stoneham striker Luke Musselwhite was playing only his second game for Harvest - having made his debut in the previous week’s Len Day Cup success against Strawberry.

Musselwhite opened the scoring with a header from a Mitch Frost free-kick - the only goal of the first half.

Harvest Home goalkeeper Joe Turner comes under pressure during his side's 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin ShippHarvest Home goalkeeper Joe Turner comes under pressure during his side's 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin Shipp
Harvest Home goalkeeper Joe Turner comes under pressure during his side's 2-1 Hampshire Vase win over Wymering. Picture: Kevin Shipp

Musselwhite was also involved when Harvest doubled their lead - chesting the ball down for Nigel Mayo to score.

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‘I don’t know if we felt a bit too comfortable after that,’ said Ogilvie, ‘but Wymering absolutely hammered us for the last 30 minutes. It was all hands on deck.’

Laurie McIntosh reduced the arrears for Wymering, but Harvest keeper Joe Turner - Ogilvie’s man of the match - ensured they couldn’t find an equaliser.

The two teams meet again next Saturday for the first time this season in the league.

Wymering pile on late pressure against Harvest Home. Picture: Kevin ShippWymering pile on late pressure against Harvest Home. Picture: Kevin Shipp
Wymering pile on late pressure against Harvest Home. Picture: Kevin Shipp

Though Paul Critchett’s Wymering are currently 15 points behind Harvest, they do have four games in hand.

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‘If we can beat them on Saturday I believe we’ll win the league,’ said Ogilvie.

‘Even if we lose to Strawberry, I don’t think they’ll catch us on goal difference. And I also think Wymering will beat Strawberry.

‘Wymering are the best team we’ve played this season.

‘But if we lose to Wymering, that throws it wide open.’

Harvest are missing key players next Saturday, including Musselwhite and another recent signing, Harry Byrne.

Byrne has decamped from MSL rivals Meon Milton, where he was the leading scorer for the past two seasons.

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Ogilvie has studied all the local league tables and worked out that Harvest are the only team to have won all their league and cup fixtures this term.

‘I was bored one afternoon, so I spent two and a half hours looking it all up!’ he quipped.

‘It’s a great record, whatever level of football you’re playing at. I mentioned that to the lads on Saturday - I said ‘you don’t want to lose this record, do you?’

Harvest have been drawn at home to West Wight Reserves in the semi-final on March 7.

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FC Strawberry have been drawn away to Bournemouth Sports Reserves in the last four - keeping alive hopes of an all-Mid-Solent League final

The Strawbs have only lost three times this season - all to Harvest - and defeated Newport IoW Reserves 3-0 in their quarter final tie with Saul Keating (2) and Rob Barnes on target.

Portchester Rovers suffered a penalty shoot-out defeat in their Hampshire Plate quarter-final at Aldershot-based Letef Select.

John Butler netted in normal time to give Rovers a 1-1 draw.

But keeper Tommy Allen was unable to stop any of Letef’s five spot-kicks in the subsequent shoot-out, with Arron Maj-Chapman the only man to miss for the visitors.