Harvest hoping Hampshire Premier League cup final appearance will boost promotion hopes

Remi Cake grabbed the only goal as Harvest booked their place in the final of the Hampshire Premier League’s L4 Teamwear Challenge Cup.
Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.

The midfielder netted from close range to give the former Mid-Solent League champions victory at Division 1 North title winners Andover New Street Swifts.

Cake reacted quickest after defender Callum Harman had flicked on a long throw from Logan Vickers, the ball dropping into the Swifts’ six-yard box.

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Harvest - runners-up in Division 1 South East - will now start favourites in the final against a Hook side who finished fourth in Division 1 North.

Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.

The final is scheduled for May 14 (11am) at Winchester City FC with the HPL’s main League Cup final between Locks Heath and Sway kicking off at the same ground at 3pm.

Regarding the semi-final success, Harvest boss Steve Harris said: ‘It was a tough battle between two evenly-matched teams. One goal was always going to decide it.

‘Our fitness showed, we finished a little bit stronger.

‘It was a scruffy goal, there was nothing neat or clever about it. The pitch was really dry and bobbly and it was windy, that made it more of a battle than a football game.

Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
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‘Our forwards have won us so many games this season, but here the defence were colossal. Mychael Griffin (centre half) was man of the match.’

Harvest had previously gone closest to breaking the deadlock when Jay Kane’s shot produced a ‘worldy’ save from the Swifts keeper.

‘We all thought it was in,’ said Harris. ‘Jacob Palmer (one of the subs) jumped up to celebrate and split his head open on the dugout roof!’

Harvest will attempt to retain their match sharpness with a friendly next weekend against Mid-Solent Leaguers Rowner Rovers. Harris said they will look for another friendly the week after.

Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
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After finishing second behind QK Southampton, Harvest must now wait to see if they will be promoted into the HPL top flight.

The Senior Division is being extended from 16 to 18 clubs, while Fleetlands are expected to go up into Wessex 1 and bottom two Chamberlayne and Lyndhurst will be relegated.

That could leave five spaces in the top flight - with places going to the two Division 1 champions and any clubs coming down from the Wessex.

If Totton & Eling and Fleet Spurs - the bottom two in this season’s Wessex 1 - did both accept an HPL place, that would leave one space.

Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
Harvest (blue) v Andover New Street Swifts. Picture by Ian Grainger.
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Could it be awarded to Infinity, hoping to return to the HPL fold after having to withdraw halfway through their maiden Wessex 1 campaign due to the lack of a home ground?

Harris is hoping Harvest’s cup exploits could persuade the league they are worthy of promotion.

‘We have done the best we can,’ he stated. ‘We finished runners-up in the most competitive of the two Division 1 leagues.

‘We’ve beaten the teams that finished first (Swifts) and second (Whitehill & Bordon) in the cup.

‘We think we’re the best of the rest, and if we can win the cup we can make ourselves stand out.’

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