ROMSEY WIN - BUT CAN THEY STAY UP ?

A third win from four games – a 3-2 victory which ended Southampton’s unbeaten Sports Centre record – has enhanced Romsey’s prospects of points of avoiding an automatic Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 2 relegation place.
All season long Romsey appeared doomed, but with four matches left, they are within touching distance of a miracle escape.
Just one point separates them from Camberley & Farnborough (13), who sneaked a timely win of their own, 3-2 at HAC.   Romsey must win at least two of those last four games, three of which are at home and the other at basement side Hamble on Saturday week.
But the momentum is certainly with Romsey, whose came from behind to beat Southampton, courtesy of a late goal by Zac Cooper.
Romsey went close through Danny Miles and Ben Mullan before Tom Ponsford broke on the right to set up Jack Forrest-Charde for the opening goal.
Southampton’s response was immediate – James Nurse creating the chance for Rob O’Brien to equalise and send the teams in level 1-1 at the break.
After fluffing three short corners Southampton took the lead through Liam Eastwood.
But the city side were numerically weakened by a five-minute sin-bin – and Romsey cashed in.
Cooper, working tirelessly on the flank, forced a penalty corner and Miles fired a drag flick into the top corner to make it 2-2.
Even with ten men Southampton looked dangerous, having a goal disallowed as a strike was deemed to have been outside of the D.
Romsey won it in the dying embers, Miles grazing the crossbar before seeing his shot parried by the Southampton goalkeeper and Cooper steal in for the 3-2 winner.
Next up for Romsey is a visit to Hampshire Collegiate (2pm) by Andover, whose slim promotion hopes were dashed by Winchester II’s 5-3 win.
Hamble remain bottom, marooned four points adrift of safety after a predictable 7-2 defeat by table topping Croydon & Old Whitgiftians.