PO SF1 Hamble Club 2 Laverstock & Ford 2 (6-7 pens)

21 April 2026

First of the playoff semifinals, then – second against fifth, 13 points between them at the end of the regular league season although as last year proved, that’s no guarantee of anything.  Possibly more to the point, the hosts came into this in flying form, rounding off their campaign with a 7-0 pummelling of Bemerton Heath Harlequins (having also won 7-0 in the cup last Tuesday), while Lavvy will have been disappointed to close with a 5-1 defeat at Downton.  But all that counts for nothing now – a single game to decide who would reach the final on Saturday.   Not a bad crowd, the majority of them seemingly for the visitors…

This was a high quality, well-contested encounter: here were two teams who weren’t’ going to die wondering.  Hamble Club, usually so comfortable on the ball with controlled possession, weren’t given a second by the pressing, snapping Bulldogs.  In Hubert Cegielka, Lavvy had the first half’s most impressive player, quick feet and nonstop energy.  More importantly, in Adam Bourner, they had the game’s most influential player – by the second half he was everywhere, winning challenges deep, pressing high, playing superb passes: almost the complete captain’s performance.  But I have got ahead of myself…

A tight first half, defences stretched but just about holding firm.  Cegielka, on the wide left for Lavvy, a constant menace: his first warning shot after 6 minutes after Bourner sent him clear, he cut inside to the edge of the box but the shot was tame.  For the Monks, Ollie Lovell hit a shot which bounced awkwardly, deflected off keeper Zach Roberts and clipped off the bar before bouncing away… Bourner with another great run and clever pass to Tommy Campbell-Smith, superbly challenged by one of the Johnson boys.  18 minutes Cegielka again down the left after a lightning break, his cross going across the face of goal and away with nobody in green to convert.  Two minutes later and the hosts thought they had the lead when Yeomans tapped home a Francis cross but he was given offside… The game then calmed down a little, with the two defences starting to gain more control and both teams becoming more disciplined off the ball, there was one moment of Campbell-Smith “doing Freddie Beale things”, sparkling feet and dribbling past three, but his shot was blocked – and then on 41, what everyone perhaps expected – Hamble down the right, Braydon Douglas with the cross, Yeomans with the header from 8 yards out, 1-0.  Lavvy came straight back, won a corner – cleared, and Bourner won an outstanding header on halfway, if he’d missed it Douglas was clean through on goal.  And right on half-time, some surprisingly panicky defending from Hamble saw a clearance hooked across their own box, but Roach hit his volley wide.  HT 1-0

After such a competitive first half, you often find teams sitting back at the start of the second period, almost like a re-set.  Not a bit of it – these two were straight at it.  Within 45 seconds Bourner went on an astonishing run where he beat about six players before finally winning a corner.  And corners were a dangerous weapon for the visitors – on 55 minutes, one almost went straight in but was cleared off the line… a brief interruption here to note one of the more curious incidents, where Leo Taylor basically put the ball under his arm and carried it for about five yards, right in front of us, and the referee waved away claims of handball… the Monks were looking the likelier side in this period and it seemed probable that they would score a second while Lavvy pushed more men forward, but instead Cegielka went on another great run, finally losing the ball in a challenge but the defensive clearance cannoned off another defender and went behind for a corner… converted by Fraser Colmer for 1-1.  15 minutes to find a winner, then – and for Lavvy, without one of their coaching team, shown a red card for something he said to the officials.  Just before this, one of their bench had shouted loudly “who’s reffing this game, you or them?”, not the first time I’ve heard this said at Hamble this season and indeed the previous time I was the speaker, but coaching teams don’t get to say this kind of thing and I guess there wasn’t much credit in the bank.  Anyway – Campbell-Smith nearly set up Cegielka but his curling shot lacked power.  Bourner, again, leading the charge, almost getting in beyond the defence but the ball too high for him to control.  Hamble’s turn, the ball breaking to Mazi in the box, blocked by Lovegrove for a corner which Roberts didn’t gather, pinball followed and ultimately Yeomans poked it home from a few yards to put the Monks back in front with six minutes to go.  Lavvy tried their best, but Hamble aren’t short of experience in managing games out and they seemed to be reasonably comfortable, the Bulldogs’ attacks becoming a bit more frenetic and less controlled.  But finally, 90+4, a free kick for Lavvy 25 yards out: now or never.  And it was now, Archie Lovegrove clearing the wall and finding the far corner to square things up to the evident jubilation of the visitors.  They might even have won it in the seventh added minute, Bourner nicking in 40 yards from goal and attempting an audacious shot.  In truth it was always floating wide, and Newman probably had it covered, but it was a great idea.  But instead, shootout.  FT 2-2

Penalties – a cruel way for someone’s dream to end, but as befits a semifinal of this quality, plenty of drama.  Bourner and Colmer scored for Lavvy; Brad Johnson for Hamble, but then brother James saw his kick expertly saved by Roberts to his right… immediately followed by Newman saving from Moseley.  Cunningham levelled it up, Lovegrove put the Bulldogs back ahead – Will Gange cleared the bar giving Chae Skyes a kick to win it.  But he never looked confident from the moment he stepped forward, saved by Newman, Yeomans tied it up at 3-3 after five. 

Arnold, Harvey Roberts and all scored for Laverstock; Jones, Francis and Honeysett for Hamble, the first of those sneaking in off the post after Roberts had got a big hand and probably thought he’d done enough.  Ninth takers, getting nervy now: Jackson scored comfortably, Michel sent the keeper the wrong way but pushed his shot wide of the post, and the Monks were sunk.

On the balance of play, I think a draw was about right – massive credit to Laverstock for how they managed to disrupt the Hamble game plan.  This was one of those games where I was a genuine neutral – but I confess that I started to lean towards the Bulldogs as the game went on, for their determination, willing running, imagination – besides they were the underdogs, and Adam Bourner absolutely didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.  So Laverstock & Ford will be the away team in the playoff final; and on this form, they’ll fancy their chances against anyone.