ITCHEN COMEBACK THANKS TO BUTLER

Twice in 72 hours this week, he applied the Midas touch and scored crucial late goals. On Monday evening, he was Sholing’s last gasp equalising extra-time goal hero in the eventual FA Youth Cup victory over Aldershot Town.Two days later, he hit a late winner to give Itchen a 3-2 victory over Barton Peveril and send his sixth form team top of the Hampshire Colleges League.Those weren’t the only goals of Butler’s ‘three-in-three’ week : he also hit the target in Sholing’s 7-0 Russell Cotes Cup demolition of Follands Sports, coming off the bench to pot the seventh goal of the night.Butler’s saviour goal for Sholing in the FA Youth Cup was unquestionably the most important of his personal tthreesome. With only two minutes of extra-time remaining, Sholing’s youngsters trailed 2-1 to Aldershot and were on the brink of going out of the Youth Cup.
But, in the 118th minute, Butler popped up head a late, late equaliser and send the tie into a penalty shoot-out, which Sholing won 4-3 to seal a home tie against Clevedon Town in the next round. Butler is among several Sholing players who turn out for Itchen in the Colleges League – the talented Jean-Luc Ramdin having been capped several times by England Under-18 Schools last season. Alongside Farnborough, Itchen and Barton Peveril are arguably the top two sides in the HCL this term and their heavyweight clash in the Chestnut Avenue mud certainly didn’t disappoint.

BP looked potential winners on the back of two inspirational pieces of first half play by midfielder Miles Gibson, who plys his skills in the Sydenhams League for Fareham Town.Gibson evaded several Itchen challenges before Mitch Byrne clipped his hell inside the box and Luke Bennett fired home the resulting penalty. Soon after, Gibson sped through again, cutting in from the right before arrowing a shot into the top corner. It was a stunning strike. Lesser teams might have crumbled, but once Jake Willis-Dellimore clawed Itchen back into it shortly before half-time there was only going to be one winner. Itchen bossed the rest of the game, out-muscling Barton Peveril and getting two decisive goals late on. James Smith equalised before Harry Butler popped up with his party trick and scored Itchen’s winner.

Richard Taunton’s celebrated a 4-3 win over Poole Grammar and in Gravel Lane match rivals coaches Tom Barge and Dan Crutchley described as credit to the Colleges League. All the RTC goals came from centre midfield – one of Nicky Pinnock’s brace being a 25-yard rocket. Zia Samedi and another long range effort from Hamad Hedari completed the scoring for Tauntons, while George Heap (2) and Elvie Purnell replied for Poole, whose third goal came in stoppage time.

It rained goals in Basingstoke, where defending champions Peter Symonds beat Queen Mary’s 8-5.
Mick Robinson (2), Billy Rolls (2), Jack Middleton, Theo Wolfarth, Eddie Lloyd, and Louis Francis scored for PSC, whose second team drew 2-2 with Brockenhurst, with Jonty Hughes and Max Reed on target.

Callum Esfandiari notched a hat-trick as Barton Peveril nailed Portsmouth 8-0 in the Championship.
Tom Bushnell (2), Nathan Bickel, Luke Hide and Fin Bingham completed the rout.