‘Sustain and settle’ – Harvest’s meteoric rise sees them preparing for Hampshire Premier League Senior Division debut at Paulsgrove

Only formed in 2017, the club have won two Mid-Solent League titles, two Hampshire FA trophies, and claimed a promotion to the top flight of the Hampshire Premier League at the end of their first full campaign at county level.

Now they lift the curtain on a debut HPL Senior Division campaign at Paulsgrove on Wednesday (6.45pm).

Asked what the ambitions for 2022/23 were, Harvest boss Steve Harris said: ‘The minimum objective is staying up.

‘I don’t think we will win the league, but after working so hard to go up we don’t want to drop out of it.

‘This is only our fifth season, the club has come on really fast. We now need to sustain and settle - slow down our progression.

‘I want us to be like Colden Common and Paulsgrove, who have established themselves as regulars in that division.

‘Fleetlands had been in the league for years before they went up (this year).

‘I think we will be competitive. It looks a really strong division, every game is going to be competitive.’

Harris has three new signings in his first squad of the new season - former Hayling United strikes George Rough and Dan Goodsell and winger Joe Giddings.

Against that, Louis Hounvio - a key player on the wing last season - has left to take up a new job in Manchester.

Hounvio struck 16 league and cup goals last term, the third highest behind Michael Granger (21) and Jay Kane (20).

‘It’s a frustrating time of the year,’ said Harris. ‘We won’t be at full strength until around October.

‘But I can’t grumble, we won’t be the only ones affected - it’s the wedding season, the holiday season. We’ll be ok. We’ll still have enough to compete.’