Fifty year wait is over for Barton Stacey (From Andover Advertiser)

North Hants Cup success for Barton Stacey after 50 year wait

7:44pm Sunday 10th March 2013 in Football By Sports editor Kerry Miller

Barton Stacey 3 Thruxton 1.

North Hants Senior Sunday Cup Final.

Goals from Nick Oliver, Nic Turpin and Danny Field from the spot gave Barton Stacey their first Sunday cup victory since 1962 and consigned reigning Sunday League champions Thruxton to defeat in the North Hants Senior Sunday Cup Final today at a chilly New Street.

Jamie Pollard’s late effort gave his side some hope but in truth the result was never in doubt as Wayne Summers’ Barton Stacey dominated for much of the game where Lewis Alderman was always busy and Oliver a constant threat.

Joint boss Summers singled out Alderman as his man of the match and the midfielder, until recently plying his Saturday trade at Wessex League Stockbridge, ‘read the game perfectly and was composed throughout.’ Summers added: “It was apt that we won as it was 50 years ago that the village side last won a Sunday cup and the wait is over at last.”

It was also apt that the win came at New Street’s Foxcotte Park ground as almost half the players on show had connections with the club either past or present and that familiarity led to an open and honest game where Barton Stacey took control from the start and were rarely on the back foot, Aaron Jeffereys, Oliver and Longparish CC opening bat Will de Cani all went close before Martyn Doolin lifted in an inch perfect pass for Oliver to give his side the lead on 15 minutes. Barton Stacey went for the jugular and Jeffereys hit the bar with a free-kick and Alderman and Oliver set up Turpin who just failed to connect with Thruxton keeper Chris Newth scrambling on the half hour.

Thruxton at last woke up and Casson Spencer laid off for Chris Knight to blaze over before Kris Hudson’s cross was tipped over and a free-kick was stabbed over by Ryan Lake but Thruxton had nothing more than a Robbie Owen booking for a foul before the break.

Kev Oliver’s men looked to take the game to Barton Stacey and up to the hour mark were a threat but once Barton Stacey introduced another New Street man, Matt Styles, into the fray the game changed once more. Within ten minutes he had found room on the right and his cross was tucked away with the minimum of fuss by Turpin.

Four minutes later it was 3-0 as Turpin escaped and was brought down in the box with Field doing the honour from 12 yards.

Hudson and Knight both had chances late on as Barton Stacey took their foot off the pedal and Pollard hit a dipper which was adjudged to have crossed the line to make it 3-1 but it mattered little as the villagers’ half century wait was over.