Bemerton Heath Harlequins have been promoted to the Southern League. Harlequins, alongside Badshot Lea and Rugby Town, finished 2nd in their division but are automatically promoted due to their Points Per Game total.
A crowd of 603 arrived at Moon Park knowing a win for either side would see them secure promotion.
It was Bemerton who found the net early on when a loose back pass was intercepted by Greg Peel who slotted the ball beneath the keeper to give Harlequins the lead.
The lead was doubled at the 20-minute mark when the ball fell nicely to Kane O’Keefe who found the far corner with an audacious overhead kick that left the keeper rooted to the ground. With Portchester stunned they had to react and did, two chances before the break saw Pitman and Raine have efforts but were no trouble for Patrick Creese in goal.
The game was all but over moments after the restart, Kane O’Keefe getting his second of the evening after getting on the end of a Danny Young cross and heading in Bemerton’s third. Portchester’s most notable sight of goal came very late in the game when Ryan Wilkins saw his effort tipped around the post by Patrick Creese.
With a 3-0 victory, Bemerton Heath Harlequins then found out they had accumulated enough points to go up automatically as one of the runners-up with the highest Points Per Game tally.
Harlequins, Badshot Lea and Rugby Town were the three from step 2 who gained automatic promotion this way.
Elsewhere, Horndean claimed the Wessex Premier title with a 1-0 win at home to Portland United.
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