Horndean seal second – a great achievement but they are going to aim for even better… Penalty save earns point for Baffins

Horndean will keep looking to move forward after sealing second place in the Wessex League premier division with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Bournemouth Poppies on Saturday.
Catch Line: Football Hordean FC
Date: 4-8-2018
Location: Horndean Football Club, Five Heads Rd, Horndean, Waterlooville PO8 9NZ
Story: Horndean v Christchurch. Action from opening Wessex League premier division game of the season - Manager Michael Birmingham
Picture: Duncan ShepherdCatch Line: Football Hordean FC
Date: 4-8-2018
Location: Horndean Football Club, Five Heads Rd, Horndean, Waterlooville PO8 9NZ
Story: Horndean v Christchurch. Action from opening Wessex League premier division game of the season - Manager Michael Birmingham
Picture: Duncan Shepherd
Catch Line: Football Hordean FC Date: 4-8-2018 Location: Horndean Football Club, Five Heads Rd, Horndean, Waterlooville PO8 9NZ Story: Horndean v Christchurch. Action from opening Wessex League premier division game of the season - Manager Michael Birmingham Picture: Duncan Shepherd

Manager Michael Birmingham insists the club can build on this fantastic season for them.

They have progressed superbly in recent years.

He said: ‘It is an unbelievable achievement and I feel we have achieved it in the right way.

‘We pass the ball in what is quite a physical league.

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‘In the last three years we have gone from sixth, to fourth, to second in the league.

‘The players want more and aren’t happy to settle with second best.

‘It does show that we have become one of the top sides in this league.

‘We have one game left to play and we are going to enjoy it.’

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Goalkeeper Cameron Scott saved a late penalty as Baffins Milton Rovers drew 0-0 with Hamble Club at the PMC Stadium.

Scott went full length to push out Nathan Lynch’s spot-kick after Shane Cornish was harshly adjudged to have handled.

Baffins boss Steve Leigh felt the game had an end-of-season feel about it.

He said: ‘It wasn’t a great game and it could have gone either way.

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‘We had the better of the first half, they had the second and the draw was a fair result.

‘When we needed to we dug in and got a point.

‘It was a game that in the past we would have ended up losing.’

Fareham Town slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Portland United.

Reds boss Pete Stiles blamed stupid defensive mistakes.

The team should have got something out of the game in his view.

He said: ‘It is so frustrating because we had 70 per cent of the game.

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‘We conceded a stupid goal in the first few minutes then did the same at the start of the second half.’

Lamin Jatta scored for Fareham.

Goals from Joel Jackson, Efu Kazadi and Charlie Cooper earned AFC Portchester a 3-1 win at Bemerton Heath Harlequins.

Jackson hammered the Royals into an 11th-minute lead after Kazadi and Olly Searle had efforts cleared off the goal line.

Four minutes later Kazadi extended the lead scoring at the second attempt.

Bemerton hit back to reduce the arrears but then missed a penalty.

Cooper sealed the win on 53 minutes after a Kazadi effort came back off the post.

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