Hunt acknowledges hard work of Port teammates
His goals helped keep Holyport in the division, but striker
Ashley Hunt will be the first to acknowledge the club’s survival at step 5 was a team effort.
Injured for much of the early part of the season, Hunt was first introduced as a substitute in the side's 2-0 away defeat at Abbey Rangers in October, a result which cemented their place at the bottom of the Combined Counties Premier Division
North.
However, he was on target in the 2-0 away win at Wokingham & Emmbrook on November 27 and bagged two as Port came from behind to beat Spelthorne Sports 2-1 in the league a few days later, two results that seemingly altered the course of the team’s season. From that moment on they were disciplined, difficult to beat and more than capable of picking up positive results. They won or drew 10 of their last 19 league matches and hauled themselves off the bottom of the table with Hunt scoring 13 goals in the process to finish as the club’s leading scorer.
In the end they finished second from bottom, above CB Hounslow United – who they lost to twice – on goal difference. Hunt didn’t get too many chances in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Southall, but – like everyone in Port’s colours – he ran himself into the ground for the cause.
“I was injured for the first part of the season, and I came in for the Abbey Rangers game, we lost 2-0 and I thought, this is going to be a battle,” said Hunt.
“Today, I just knew we had to keep battling and fighting. We ran ourselves into the ground.
“I’ve always been taught that if you work hard enough, something will happen for you. We didn’t get the chances today, but because all of us were working hard, I think we probably deserve to stay up.
“Our recent performances have been so much better than a relegation side so I’m really glad.
“There's been four or five draws this season where I think we could have easily had the points and that would have taken us up to mid-table. It’s all fine margins, but now we can go and celebrate.”
Reflecting on the club’s crucial away win at Spelthorne Sports in late November, Hunt added: “We were 1-0 down until the 85th minute and then we scored in the 90th and 92nd minutes. Everyone just believed from then and everyone became a team. All the lads in the changing room back each other now.
“When we were out there today, all we were thinking about was trying to get something from the game, to try and put it on Hounslow to get something. But now there’s just relief, we didn’t get something, but do you know what, we deserve it.
“Southall are an amazing team, and they deserve to go up but we’ve also done well to put in the performances we have against them. I don't see why we can’t compete next season, we’ve beaten teams that are in the top four. We’ve beaten Edgware, Ascot, St Panteleimon, all these teams that have a good set up and we’ve given them a good game.
“We've got to keep going and keep the group tight. It’s been a hard season, every week we've been up against it and had to put in a shift.
“Everyone in that changing room has been working, nonstop, the management as well.”