Holgate’s brace helps Gosport Borough shatter Baffins Milton Rovers’ Hampshire Development Under-18 League double dream

Having already won the East Division, Rovers were favourites going into the Westleigh Park final against a Borough side who finished sixth in the same division.

Baffins had only lost three of their 22 league fixtures, and one of those was last Sunday when they conceded their scheduled home game against Gosport due to the fact the teams were playing again two days later.

Harrison Cable - who played at step 4 level for Lymington Town in 2021/22 - gave Baffins the lead.

Owen Pelham was inches away from doubling the lead, a free-kick hitting the woodwork.

Gosport levelled five minutes before the interval when Baffins keeper Bailey Neal parried a free-kick and Will Ayre snaffled the rebound.

Holgate then took the tie away from Baffins with a quickfire double after the break, with Oscar Deans heading a consolation 12 minutes from time.

Baffins boss Mark Robinson said he had ‘no qualms’ about the result.

‘Overall, I’d say Gosport edged it, they were probably deserved winners,’ he confessed.

SEE MORE: Gosport Borough v Baffins Milton Rovers picture gallery

It was a winning end for Gosport’s joint under-18 managers, Joe Lea and Pat Suraci.

Next season, the pair will be concentrating on taking charge of Wessex League Division 1 club Petersfield Town.

'I think for us, me and Pat, it's kind of a nice way to finish a cycle,’ Lea remarked.

'We're obviously going to Petersfield next year in terms of management so, for us, it's a nice way to end it with a trophy.

'We're still obviously going to be running the programme (Gosport’s centre of excellence) but in terms of the day-to-day coaching of those boys, we've already had to move that onto some staff for next year.

'For us, it's almost like the first year we introduced the programme, second year we established the programme and this year both our sides (U18s and U23s) have obviously competed and challenged for trophies, so it's been a really nice cycle.

'Some of the boys in that team (U18s) have been with us since they were 15 and others have come in from the youth section at Gosport.

'Over time, with coaching, practice and dedication from those boys, they've really developed. It's only because of that they're then able to go on to do these things in the FA Youth Cup and the cup competitions.

‘We're really proud of them.’

Gosport reached the first round of the FA Youth Cup in 2021/22, losing to Reading City. That followed wins over Hamble, Poole Town and Cheltenham Saracens without conceding a goal.

Borough’s U23s also reached a League Cup final, losing 5-1 at Dorchester Town last week.