PAN-tasy football

Newly-promoted Pan Community Football Club secured their third trophy of the season, winning the Hampshire Vase, on Havant & Waterlooville’s G4 pitch, beating St Francis 8-2 in a match Pan dominated, but at one point was in doubt.

A minute’s silence preceded the match in memory of Hants FA president, Jim Pearson, and St Francis kicked off with the strong downfield breeze, and both sides were cautious for the opening quarter-hour.

Pan centre forward, Mark Taylor, scored from a 20-yard free kick, after being fouled. His goal was quickly followed by another when man-of-the-match, Ross Lacey, headed in a Josh Gwilliam corner for 2-0.

Goal-keeping errors from St Francis allowed Gwilliam to score from a goal-mouth scramble, and Lacey was put in by Rob Shepherd to make it 4-0 with minutes left in the first half, enough time for St Francis to score from a penalty.

The teams went into the break with Pan 4-1 ahead.

St Francis came out more competitively, and reduced the gap to 4-2 within 10 minutes; two minutes later St Francis were awarded another penalty kick, and Pan keeper, Joe Williams, pulled off a match-changing save, with the rebound hitting the upright, and Pan counter-attacking for Lacey to complete his hat-trick on the hour mark.

Gwilliam then made it 6-2 to Pan, and was booked for an over-exuberant celebration. St Francis then brought on their coach and former-Southampton player and Cape Verdean international, ‘Pele’ Pedro Monterio, who failed to make an impact and was later booked.

With a quarter-of-an-hour left, Lacey scored his fourth goal of the match, from a Robbie Shepherd pass, and, with 10 minutes to go, Shepherd completed the scoring for a dominant Pan side, who add the Hants Vase to the Division Two championship and Junior A Cup.

Manager, Steve Case, said: “The lads have worked really hard for success this season, and we are grateful for all the support the club has had.”

Team – Joe Williams, Sam Shepherd, Tyler Thorne, Sam Williams, Joshua Piper (C), Lennox Dunkling, Josh Gwilliam, Robbie Shepherd, Mark Taylor, Ash Gulliver & Ross Lacey; substitutes – Jack Davies, Alex Hatton, Kaylum Case & Sean Gwilliam.

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