Sub Theobald’s double ensures Fleetlands finish ‘challenging’ season as Hampshire Premier League’s leading goalscorers

The Coptermen entered their last game at Winchester Castle needing three points to leapfrog Moneyfields on goal difference, and four goals to depose Moneys as the Senior Division’s highest marksmen.

They duly achieved both targets, Theobald’s second half brace sealing a 4-1 victory as Fleetlands ended just two points adrift of champions Colden Common. Indeed, the top six were separated by only eight points.

Had they not been given three points when Moneys were docked the same amount for fielding ineligible players in November’s 4-0 win against the Coptermen, they would have finished fourth.

Last November, Theobald scored the only goal as Hayling United defeated Fleetlands 1-0 at Lederle Lane.

A few weeks later, the midfielder was among the mass exodus of players following Humbugs assistant Dan Greenwood to the Coptermen.

His second goal at Winchester was Fleetlands’ 92nd in 30 Senior Division fixtures this term.

After Greenwood joined Chris Blakeman as joint-manager, Fleetlands won 12 of their last 15 HPL fixtures. Only once - when they were runners-up in 2016/17, albeit 18 points adrift of Bush Hill - have they finished higher in the HPL.

Trailing at Winchester Castle, Fleetlands levelled through Callum Dart before Jamie Wrapson put them ahead before half-time.

‘Callum’s first goal was a really good strike,’ reported Blakeman. ‘It was similar to the goal he scored for Hayling against us. That could have cost us winning the title - football moves in funny ways!’

Having passed a ground grading inspection and finished in the top five, Fleetlands now await a rubber-stamping of their promotion into Division 1 of the Wessex League. Hamworthy Recreation and Dorchester Sports - first and third respectively in the Dorset Premier League - are expected to join them.

Blakeman knew winning promotion to step 6 was the ultimate end goal when stepping up from his assistant’s role to replace Rich Bessey as boss last November. Greenwood arrived just a few weeks later.

‘We have always had the belief,’ said Blakeman. ‘We were a long way off, but we always had games in hand. There was always belief, but we didn’t want to say it out too loud.

‘To finish so high was really good. We finished as the leading scorers and we had the joint best defence (33 goals conceded, the same as Locks Heath). That’s quite a feat considering it was a challenging season.

‘We lost our manager, captain (Tommy Woodward) and leading scorer (Kelvin Robinson) in the space of about 10 days. Then there was the integration of all the new players before Christmas. Put all that together, and it’s been a really strong finish.’

Though nothing is confirmed yet, Blakeman knows Fleetlands have to plan for 2022/23 as if they will be playing at step 6 level.

‘I would hope the majority (of the players) will stay,’ he said. ‘But we’ll need to bring more in because there will be more games next season (in the Wessex).

‘It will be a step up in terms of quality as well as the extra games. We’ve got players with Wessex experience - Callum Dart, Mark Smith, Luke Heard - and we’ll sit down and assess what we need.

‘Going up will be a challenge but it’s something the club wanted to do. It’s been the ambition of the chairman (Iain Sellstrom) ever since he’s been here.

‘We now have to make sure the effort (of getting out of the HPL) is not wasted. We want to do ourselves justice.’