Fleetlands forced into Wessex wait
Coptermen have ‘done all we’ve can’ to earn promotion
George Gregory was Fleetlands’ second half hero with the goals that almost certainly secured the club’s promotion to the Wessex League.
Trailing at the interval, Gregory struck twice after the break to give the Coptermen a 2-1 home win over Sway in their penultimate Hampshire Premier League fixture.
That ensured Fleetlands finished above Stockbridge, the only other club in the division that had seen their facilities pass a Wessex ground grading inspection at the end of last month.
To be considered for promotion to step 6, clubs have to finish in the top five. And Stockbridge will finish sixth, thereby completing ruling them out.
That leaves Fleetlands and Dorset Premier League duo Hamworthy Recreation and Dorchester Sports to fill the three available spaces in Division 1 of the Wessex in 2021/22.
According to pre-season rules, the bottom three in Wessex Division 1 would be relegated. The bottom two are now expected to go down, with the third promoted club filling the gap caused by Infinity’s withdrawal earlier this year.
Fleetlands must now wait for the Wessex League to rubber stamp promotion before celebrations can truly begin. But it seems hard to believe that won’t happen.
‘We’ve done all we can,’ stated co-boss Dan Greenwood after the win against Sway - Fleetlands’ 11th in 14 league games since he left Hayling United, where he had been assistant to Dan Bishop, to join the Coptermen in early December.
When Greenwood arrived to work alongside Chris Blakeman, Fleetlands were sixth - 19 points adrift of leaders Moneyfields, with two games in hand, and 16 behind Denmead with three matches in hand.
If Fleetlands can win their last fixture at Winchester Castle, they will finish above Moneys on goal difference.
They have been helped, though, by seeing Moneys docked three points for fielding ineligible players in November’s 4-0 win over Fleetlands. Those three points were then given to the Coptermen.
No such rule applies in the Wessex. US Portsmouth, for example, were docked three points for fielding an ineligible player in a 4-1 win against Cowes last December. But the Isle of Wight club weren’t given the points.
The HPL’s rule, therefore, has benefited the Coptermen. Though if they avoid defeat at Winchester, they would have finished above Stockbridge even without the three-point ‘gift’.
Upon joining Fleetlands, Greenwood brought with him a host of ex-Hayling first teamers - Gregory, Dan Clasby, Josh Watts, Callum
Theobald, Joe Boxall, George Claister and Toby Wilson.
They have helped provide Fleetlands with the strength in depth they will need for a Wessex 1 campaign which will include an extra eight league games at least and more midweek commitments.
Gregory’s double against Sway - including an 85th minute winner - took his seasonal tally to 22. Of those, 13 were scored for Hayling.
Kelvin Robinson, ending the season back at Lederle Lane after Hamble’s Wessex campaign finished, started against Sway but couldn’t grab his 30th goal of 2021/22 - 19 of which have come in Fleetlands colours.
Greenwood, meanwhile, has praised chairman Iain
Sellstrom and the club’s unsung heroes behind the scenes for getting the club ready for the next level.
‘The chairman and the board have put a hell of a lot of effort in. If it wasn’t for their commitment, we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are.’
Asked if was surprised that on-field displays had been so good since he joined, Greenwood added: ‘I would have to say ‘yes’.
‘The players have gelled brilliantly, and our depth is a lot stronger now.’