Colin signs off with key penalty
by Mike Vimpay

Colin Bradbury celebrated his Fareham farewell in the best possible manner - by firing home the penalty that won the Bath Lane club Hampshire Hockey Association Cup! Playing for the final time in his 750-plus game career, Bradbury stepped up to beat Havant's Tom Skinner and earn Fareham a shock 3-1 penalty stroke win over the EHA National League side in the county final at Burnaby Road. "It was a story more in keeping with Roy Race in those 'Roy of the Rovers' comics we all used to read as schoolboys," quipped Bradbury, after playing in a sixth victorious Fareham cup winning team.

Fareham and Havant slugged out a goalless draw during normal time, with goalkeeper Mike Wright often performing heroics to keep his goal intact. "Havant missed their chances, but Mike had one of those days and was simply superb," Bradbury said. Havant continued to be off-key when it came to the penalty shoot-out and were trailing 2-1 to strikes by Declan Coughlin and Tim Tavender when Bradbury stepped up to take Fareham's fourth, potentially cup-winning stroke. "It was a surreal feeling. "There I was, about to strike a hockey ball in anger for the last time in my career - and it was set to decide a cup final." But the ice-cool Bradbury sent his last-ever flick screaming into Skinner's top right-hand corner to win the cup for Fareham, the underdogs.

It brought a fitting end to Bradbury's 25-year career at Fareham, climaxed by 19 England indoor caps and a silver medal in the European Championships in Scotland. "I've thoroughly enjoyed all of it," he said. "I started my career on the grass pitches at Bath Lane and at Price's School back in 1974, and have a lot of happy memories to look back upon. "Fareham has been a great club to play for." Fareham will continue to have City of Portsmouth as one of their opponents in the South Premier League again next season.

Despite winning the SPL, Portsmouth missed out in the EHA play-offs, even though they won two of their matches, beating eventual qualifiers Bath Buccaneers and Harleston Magpies. They beat Bath 4-2 and Harleston 3-2, but lost to Ipswich, Bowdon and Harborne. "Reaching the play-offs was a tremendous achievement and everyone at the club has a lot to be proud of," said Pete Hayward, who is stepping down as player/coach.

Hampshire Cup Final - May Day - HMS Temeraire

There was another upset for Havants men's first team, who crashed to a surprise defeat to Fareham. Tension got the better of both sides with yellow cards being shown by the umpires, and neither side could find a cutting edge in front of goal. Regional league side Fareham gave Havant a very competitive game, although the national league side were guilty of missing several chances late on that should have secured victory. In the end, it again came down to penalty strokes and that meant a fairytale finale for Fareham's veteran Colin Bradbury.
The veteran of more than 750 appearances for the club was making his last appearance for Fareham and it was he who stepped up to take the deciding penalty stroke to secure a 3-2 win. It was the sixth time that Bradbury had led Fareham to a county cup success and a fitting way to bring down the curtain on a magnificent and loyal hockey career.

Winchester rue missed opportunity
by Mike Vimpany

WINCHESTER were left to reflect on what might have been after being beaten 3-2 by Fareham in the Hampshire HA Cup semi-finals at King's School. "Overall it was one of our best performances of the season, but we missed a hatful of chances," sighed the club's Dutch player-coach, Merijn van Willigen. "We had in excess of ten short corners but, to their credit, Fareham countered every one of them."

Winchester got off to the best possible start with Richard Penrose setting up Alex Bennett for an early score. But Fareham began to dominate and after 15 minutes showed their Regional Division hosts how to execute a penalty corner, with Scott Shirley equalising with a direct shot.

Goalkeeper Craig Falkingham played out of his skin, pulling off a string of fine saves. But he could do little about the second from Aaron Walker shortly after-wards which took the sting out of Winchester. Creditably, the city club lifted their game again -only for Moseley to hit a decisive third goal for Fareham.Bennett clawed the final score back to 3-2 in the dying seconds, but it was too late to deny Fareham a cup final date against Havant at Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, on Monday May 6.

South Premier Division champions City of Portsmouth are off to a fly-ing start in their bid for EHA National League status next season. They beat Bath Buccaneers 4-2 in their opening play-off tie and will be on course for EHA status in October if they can win their next match at Ipswich this weekend. Portsmouth set their pace against Bath throughout, only to find two Bobby Crutchley strikes wiping out leads forged by Ivan Boswell and Steve Turnbull. But the fitness regime player-coach Pete Hayward has installed at City paid off as Portsmouth finished the stronger, clinching a key victory through goals by John Oliver and Boswell.

Fareham escape the drop
by Mike Vimpany

FAREHAM'S relegation fears are over. They will take their place in South Premier League, Division 1 next season after all. The Bath Lane club was left sweating on its Premier status after finishing third from bottom. But, when EHA National Division 2 strugglers Ipswich only managed to beat Oxford Hawks 1-0, Fareham were safe. "Had they won by two goals, we would have been in serious trouble - and quite possibly been relegated," said a relieved Fareham coach Steve Godwin.

Instead, it's second-to-bottom Maidenhead who stand on the brink of demotion, alongside Bromley, who are certain to play in the South Premier next autumn after finishing last in EHA2. Their fate lies firmly in the hands of Premier champions City of Portsmouth, who launch their EHA play-off bid against Bath Buccaneers at HMS Temeraire on Saturday (1.30pm).In the meantime, Fareham can relax - and concentrate on their Hampshire Cup semi-final duel with Winchester at King School, again on Saturday (1.30pm).

It's a clash which brings together three of the area's top goalscorers - Fareham's 15-goal Jim Moseley, who lines up against Winchester's 17-strike hot shot Nick Tout and Dutch penalty corner specialist Merijen van Willigen. "It promises to be an interesting game," Godwin said. "Winchester play two divisions below us, but have a lot of promising young players and are a side to watch in seasons to come. "Although we've fixed up a friendly against City tomorrow evening, we might be a little ring rusty and they'll want to take full advantage." The winners will play EHA Division 2 neighbours Havant, who spanked City of Portsmouth 4-1 with goal-poacher Tim Davenport notching a hat-trick. The Hampshire final is at HMS Temeraire on May 6.

Return to homepage