AFC Portchester defeat AFC Totton to win Hampshire Senior Cup for first time in their history

The Royals converted all of their spot-kicks to beat two divisions higher AFC Totton at Aldershot on Friday following a 0-0 draw.

As a result, they became only the fourth Wessex League club to ever win the blue riband county FA silverware.

After the disappointment of losing the Wessex League Cup final to Hamble four days earlier, it was a great way for boss Dave Carter to bow out.

It was Carter’s final game in charge of the club, prior to handing over to his assistant Gav Spurway, after three seasons in the job.

For Totton, though, it was a second penalty shoot-out defeat in five days - having lost the Southern League Premier South play-off final at home to Salisbury on the Bank Holiday Monday.

And for the second time in a week, former Gosport and Hawks striker Tony Lee missed from the spot.

After seeing Ryan Gosney save his effort in the play-off final, Lee then had his penalty - Totton’s second in the shoot-out - saved by Steve Mowthorpe.

As it turned out, Lee was the only player to miss his spot-kick.

Ryan Woodford, James Cowan, George Barker and Conor Bailey all converted, setting the stage for Kane O’Keefe to secure the silverware.

Portchester had made five changes from the Wessex League Cup final starting XI, while Totton made four from their final loss - the injured Sam Magri and Adam Tomasso among those dropping out.

For their part, the Royals were without 25-goal top scorer Harrison Brook and the highly-experienced striker Brett Williams.

The HSC win represents the best cup final win in Portchester’s history, having previously lifted the Wessex League Cup twice and the Hampshire FA’s Russell Cotes Cup twice.

It also ended a run of ‘what might have beens’ - the Royals were beaten semi-finalists in the 2021/22 Wessex League Cup, they missed out on automatic promotion in 2022/23 after leading the Wessex Premier for most of the season, and they suffered a play-off semi-final loss at Stoneham recently, as well as the Hamble cup final defeat.

The previous three Wessex winners of the HSC were Andover (2000/01), Winchester City (2004/05) and Alresford (2013/14).

Prior to this season, the furthest Portchester had ever gone in the HSC was a semi-final loss to Farnborough in Carter’s first season in charge, 2021/22.