Season Review

It has been a rollercoaster of a season for Moneys, and it has ended with promotion from the Velocity Wessex Premier Division. In honour of what has been a long, challenging but ultimately successful campaign, here is a review of what has occurred.

JULY

Moneys were put to their paces in pre-season, it started with a 3-3 draw against an IOW Rep XI at Havant on the first of the month, before Totton & Eling were beaten 3-1 at Front Lawn. A day later, we took on a strong Havant and Waterlooville side and were beaten 5-1 - although it was a day of signings with Munir Hadi, Marco De Sousa and Stan Bridgman joining - Bridgman found the target in the Hawks defeat.

A 2-1 defeat at Pagham was followed by comfortable victories over Paulsgrove and Alton. We then claimed the prestigious Clanfield Cup with a semi-final win over Selsey being followed by a win over Clanfield themselves in the final.

We finished off pre-season with a victory at Folland Sports and defeat at Abbey Rangers, before all eyes turned to the opening of the league campaign.

AUGUST

Our first league encounter saw us travel to a wet Hythe & Dibden on the 1st of the month, but no slips were made in a routine 4-0 victory. Our FA Cup campaign got underway later that week, we hosted Southern League outfit Westbury United and defeated them 1-0 thanks to James Franklyn’s goal.

A win at Andover New Street in the Hampshire Senior Cup was followed by what is, to date, still our only league defeat of the season - Tom Cain got a consolation in a 3-1 reverse at AFC Stoneham.

We quickly followed that up though, with a 3-2 victory at Baffins Milton Rovers setting us up nicely ahead of an FA Cup trip to Weymouth.

That was to take on Hamworthy United, and we won 2-1 thanks to Cain and Ryan Pennery goals. We had two more cup games to finish off the month, victories over Cove and Christchurch secured our progress in both the Hampshire Cup and the FA Vase.

SEPTEMBER

Our FA Cup journey saw us travel to the outskirts of Bath to take on Larkhall Athletic, though we were beaten 3-0 by the Southern League side. Dramatic league wins at Petersfield and Christchurch followed as Glenn Turnbull’s side looked to really showcase their promotion credentials in the warm late summer conditions.

A 5-0 defeat at home to AFC Bournemouth’s Development Squad saw us exit the Hampshire Senior Cup, but we responded masterfully with an excellent 3-1 win over Shaftesbury at Cams Alders.

Fleetlands were the next Vase opposition - a 2-0 win over Steve Claridge’s side booked our spot in Round One.

The month finished with two league victories of very different styles: Laverstock & Ford were swept away 7-1 before Pennery’s free-kick earnt us a 1-0 win at Hamble Club.

Our form throughout this month also saw us named Wessex Premier Division ‘Club of the Month’.

OCTOBER

Another busy month was in store, and it started well as Hamworthy Rec were seen off on penalties in the Wessex League Cup. A long journey to Sherborne was on the agenda next and it was worthwhile as we came away with a 5-2 win.

Goals were flowing at this point, 5-0 and 8-0 thumpings over Blackfield & Langley and Bournemouth respectively were highlight-worthy.

Our Russell Cotes Cup campaign started well, a 2-0 win at Ringwood Town preceded another Vase victory, as Tadley-Calleva were seen off by three goals to one.

Two impressive victories finished off our league action for the month, with Fareham Town thrashed 8-1 before we travelled to Portland United and excelled in a 3-0 win.

NOVEMBER

As winter arrived, so did the waterlogged/frozen pitches and Moneys did not play a league game in this month. We did travel to Cowes Sports in the Wessex League Cup Second Round but a much-changed side were thumped 6-1.

Our Vase journey also came to a halt, we were beaten 3-0 after a long trip to take on Falmouth Town. Whilst we did win our first Portsmouth Senior Cup encounter, Clanfield were beaten 6-0 at Westleigh Park.

There was also a moment of pride for young talent Max Allen, who was selected to represent Hampshire’s county squad throughout the season.

DECEMBER

We did return to league action in December, though not how we had planned it as our ‘home’ fixture with Blackfield & Langley was abandoned due to thick fog at Gang Warily on the third of the month.

We did complete three games throughout the rest of the month though, a 6-2 win at Bournemouth was followed by a 4-2 success in a vital game at ‘home’ to AFC Portchester at Wicor Road.

US Portsmouth were our final opponents of the calendar year, a 5-0 victory at Westleigh Park set us up for a grandstand 2024.

JANUARY

January didn’t start swimmingly, to say the least. Our fixtures against Christchurch, Hythe & Dibden, Cowes Sports and Andover New Street were all postponed, whilst a ground share agreement with AFC Portchester fell through.

We did strike an agreement with Chichester City though, to use Oaklands Park as our temporary base, and we played our first game there late in the month with a 2-1 victory over Hamble Club.

The Hythe game was rearranged for later in the month, though we exited the Russell Cotes Cup with a 3-1 defeat at the Hythe Garages Stadium.

January also saw us re-sign defender Ben Pashley, who joined on a dual registration deal with Gosport Borough.

FEBRUARY

With the ground share secured, Moneys made up for lost time in a fantastic February! It started off with league wins over Brockenhurst, Andover New Street and Lymington; before the Street were seen off again, this time at Oaklands Park.

We dropped league points for the first time since August after blowing a two-goal lead at AFC Portchester - 2-2 it finished - before dispatching Blackfield & Langley 5-1 in the rearranged fixture following the December abandonment.

A huge top of the table clash was then to follow at Shaftesbury, but we rose to the occasion and were 3-1 victors thanks to Laycock, Franklyn and Josh Hazell goals.

However, we ended the month with a Portsmouth Senior Cup Quarter-Final defeat at Gosport Borough - but we were still crowned the Wessex Premier Division’s ‘Club of the Month’ for the second time this season.

MARCH

The penultimate month of the season began with home thumpings over Baffins Milton Rovers and Petersfield Town, before a trip to the Isle of Wight saw us emerge victorious at Cowes Sports - that one finished 4-0.

Hythe & Dibden, Lymington Town and Portland United were all seen off by scorelines of 3-1, 4-0 and 2-0 respectively - indeed that Hythe goal was the only goal we conceded throughout the entire month.

So it all set up a huge top-two encounter at the end of the month of which Moneys prospered, a 2-0 win over AFC Stoneham took us to the top of the league and that is where we have stayed ever since.

APRIL

There were plenty of games still to catch up with at the back end of the season as we entered the final month - and April started as March ended, with Moneys wins. Cowes and Christchurch were both seen off to know that five points against US Portsmouth and Brockenhurst would secure the title.

After a bonkers game at Grigg Lane, we salvaged a point in a 3-3 draw, whilst we did wrap up the title in some style via a 4-2 win at Laverstock & Ford.