A pleasant late May evening at the PMC Stadium, home of Baffins Milton Rovers, was the setting for the PDFA Cup Final between two teams who know each other fairly well, with tight battles over the last few seasons in the Wessex Premier Division.

Repeating Moneyfields success of 2023/24, AFC Portchester have just wrapped up their 2024/25 season by winning the Wessex Premier Division and will play next season alongside Moneyfields in the Isthmian South Central Division, as well as other local rivals Fareham and Horndean.

Straight away Portchester were on the offensive, where Callum Smart had to make some big saves. First, after just 3 minutes saving an effort from Harrison Brook and then later diving across to his left to parry away a well-hit shot by Josh Clack.

In between those Portchester attacks, James Franklyn came closest to goal for Moneys as a brilliant deep cross from the left flank by Lawrence Cooper was met by Franko, who smartly tried to lift it over the advancing keeper. Unfortunately, the Portchester shot stopper hadn’t fully committed, so he was able to get back on his line and punch the effort away for a corner.

On 27 minutes, Portchester took the lead. A fast-paced corner from their attacking right was met by Connor Duffin, who headed home from close range. Money’s keeper Callum Smart protested that Duffin had impeded him, but the referee waved away the appeals.

A few minutes later, Lewis Beale latched onto a through ball in the box and was eased away from the ball by Portchy defender Olly Searle, with some Moneys players shouting for a penalty. Probably the correct decision for no penalty, but I’ve seen them given on different days.

Just before half time, Lawrence Cooper showed some more smart play on the left wing, cutting back inside the Portchy right-back to deliver a ball in the direction of Franklyn was only just over hit, so the score remained one-nil to the Arancione.

Half time – Moneyfields 0-1 AFC Portchester

Moneys started the second half much brighter than they had played most of the first half, looking more threatening. On 48 minutes, Harry Sargeant broke down the right wing and fired a ball hard and low into the box, but Lewis Beale was wide of the mark with the effort that he probably didn’t have much time to react to.

5 minutes into the second half saw the first switch in an attempt to liven up our right side, with Jordan Pile coming on for Harry Birmingham. Shortly after, Harry Thorpe came on for Steve Ramsey as well.

Around the hour mark, Joel Brown cut the ball back to just outside the box for substitute Harry Thorpe to strike. He hit it well enough, but it was too close to Mowthorpe, who got down well to block it. There was a corner following Thorpe’s effort, which he took, and Tom Cain leapt well, but his header went a couple of feet over the bar as the advancing keeper clattered Cain with an errant punch. Oddly, no one seemed to appeal, and Cain completely ignored the contact.

2 further changes followed as Mahammedkier replaced Lewis Beale, and then Eric Dellaud came on for Loz Cooper, for Eric to earn his 100th appearance in Moneyfields colours.

It all then started to get tetchy as Portchester started the darker arts of holding onto a 1-0 lead, whilst not really offering too much in the way of a goal threat. It culminated with Connor Duffin getting a second yellow, having gone in late on Callum Smart. He had to be marched off the pitch by a teammate as he’d quite literally seen red.

2 minutes later, Portchy tried their best to get Jafer sent off for nothing more than attempting to block a clearance from the edge of the Portchester box. Two Portchester players were subsequently given yellow cards for over-reacting and trying to force Mahammedkier into a reaction with some fairly strong-armed shoves. Jafer held his calm well, not reacting to the provocation.

After 92 minutes, Moneys finally left a mark on the scoresheet. After the ball had pinballed in and out of the box a few times, Tom Cain delivered a dinked cross from a fairly central position, and it fell quite literally onto Jafer, who bundled it into the goal. It quite clearly came off his chest but again, Portchester felt the need to complain and surrounded the match official to claim handball.

Full time – Moneyfields 1-1 AFC Portchester

No extra time, so straight to penalties to see if Moneyfields could end the season with some silverware. Sadly, it didn’t get underway well as Tom Cain’s penalty was saved well by Mowthorpe. Smarty did save Portchester’s first penalty too, but then Jordan Pile’s penalty hit the top of the bar.

Portchester scored their second effort to give them a 1-0 lead after 2 penalties each. Harry Thorpe scored our third, and then Callum Smart saved again to make it 1-1 after 3 penalties a piece.

Sadly though, Tom Jeffes skied his penalty and Portchester scored their fourth to give them a lead going into the final kicks. Eric Dellaud put his away, but Portchester scored their 5th to give them the win 2-3 on penalties.

Moneys XI: Smart, Birmingham (Pile 50), Cooper (Dellaud 75), Brown, Jeffes, Cain, Brown, Ramsey (Thorpe 55), Sargeant, Beale (Mahammedkier 71), Laycock, Franklyn

Unused Subs: O’Reilly

by Andrew Barnard