Horndean crowned Wessex League champions – but long-time table-toppers AFC Portchester finish fourth

They became only the third PO postcode winners in the league’s 37-year history after a dramatic 1-0 success against Portland United last night.

Top scorer Zack Willett headed a stoppage-time winner for his 46th league goal of the season and his 50th in all competitions.

The game was played out in front of a bumper crowd of 1,359 - easily a club record attendance at Five Heads Park.

A 32nd victory in 38 fixtures meant Horndean finished two points clear of both Bemerton Heath Harlequins and AFC Stoneham in what was a truly enthralling title race.

AFC Portchester, who led the Premier Division table for most of the season, ended up fourth after crashing 3-0 at Bemerton last night.

It was only the Royals’ fourth defeat in 38 league fixtures, and the first time they had lost by more than a single goal.

The top four ended up being separated by just four points, the closest title race in Wessex top flight history.

Portchy ended up dropping eight points in their final four games - they had previously lost at home to Horndean and drawn with Baffins - compared to only dropping nine in their opening 30 league fixtures!

Horndean are automatically promoted to the Southern League Division 1 South while Bemerton - who finished runners-up due to a superior goal difference - will join the Deans at step 4 next season if they can win a play-off tie this weekend.

Michael Birmingham’s Deans only hit top spot for the first time in 2022/23 after winning 2-0 at Baffins Milton Rovers last Thursday.

Portchester had previously held pole position from October 4 - when they beat Bemerton with a stoppage time Jake Raine winner - all the way until April 20.

Dave Carter’s Portchy held a 14-point lead over Horndean at the beginning of April, though the latter did have five games in hand.

But the Deans came through a hectic fixture list - playing their last eight games in 22 days - to become the 21st different winner of the Wessex League.

The Royals had to win at Bemerton to stand any chance of finishing top. But they slipped 2-0 down inside the first 20 minutes to goals from ex-Horndean attacker Greg Peel and Kane O’Keefe.

And it was game over shortly into the second half when O’Keefe headed in from a Danny Young corner.

That meant Bemerton ended the season with the only unbeaten home record in the Wessex Premier, and one of only eight across the top nine tiers of English football. A stunning achievement, bearing in mind they were only promoted from Division 1 12 months ago.

Michael Birmingham’s Horndean are certainly worthy champions. After all, they ended with 126 league goals - the most across the 16 step 5 divisions that comprise the ninth tier of English football - and conceded only 21 goals, the third lowest at step 5 level.

Additionally, the Deans also boasted the best goal difference in the top nine tiers (plus 105).

They had numerous chances to really boost that latter figure against Portland, with Rudi Blankson and Willett both hitting the woodwork prior to the dramatic late winner.

Willett, who returned the starting XI tonight after missing the home loss to Bemerton at the weekend due to a foot injury, ended the season as the Premier’s top goalscorer with 46 – one more than Portchester’s Brett Pitman.

Stoneham, along with Bemerton, leapfrogged Portchester in the final reckoning – the Purples finished third after a 7-1 romp at rock bottom Alresford.

At the other end of the table, Pagham’s first season in the Premier ended with relegation.

Joe Clarke scored an 86th minute winner for the Sussex club against Baffins, but Bournemouth Poppies – the only other side that could go down – beat Moneyfields 2-0.

Baffins were reduced to 10 men on 72 minutes when Dillon North was sent off.