​Fareham Ladies have been officially crowned South Central Women’s Premier Division  champions with town Mayor, Cllr Mike Ford (below) presenting captain Tara Lemon with the trophy after the 2-1 win over Southampton.
It was Fareham’s 19th victory in 21 outings. It left them 12 points clear at the top ahead of Saturday’s finale against Oxford.
The two decisive goals came barely 90 seconds apart midway through the opening period with Lydia Jackson scoring from a long corner and birthday girl Tara Lemon doubling the lead soon after.  It was her first goal in four seasons.
Southampton regrouped and  clawed a goal back, but were unable to fully recover from that double setback.

Chris Davey notched a hat-trick as Fareham thrashed Cardiff University 5-0 at Henry Cort to secure their immediate future in England Hockey’s West Conference.
It was a match Fareham had to win to stave off the threat of relegation – and they did so in style, sending the Welsh students down alongside city neighbours Cardiff & Met II.
Cardiff University arrived at Henry Cort with spirits high on the back of seven points and 12 goals from their previous three matches, but they were seldom at the races as Fareham scored two unanswered goals before half-time and added three more in the third quarter.
Davey opened his account in the 16th minute before teenager Charlie Cook celebrated his England Under-16 call-up for the Easter international tournament against Scotland and Spain with a second. He also enjoyed two goal assists.
A minute after half-time Fareham effectively sealed their survival clinching victory with a third from Davey and went on to score again from a Kieran Page short corner conversion before Davey celebrated his hat-trick.
Fareham, with 13 goals and seven points from their last three games, will expect to round off the season with a win over relegated Cardiff & Met II at Henry Cort on Sunday,

​The dust will barely have settled on Fareham ladies’ championship celebrations at Henry Cort on Saturday lunchtime when the club’s men’s team begin a fight for their lives in a desperate England Hockey West Conference relegation showdown with Cardiff University.
Fareham manager Malcolm Davies has described it as “the most important match the club has faced in recent years” – with defeat certainly not on the team agenda.
Either Fareham or the Cardiff students will fill the second end of season relegation place alongside Cardiff & Met, with the outcome of Saturday’s match absolutely crucial.
After 16 rounds of matches, Fareham, with 15 points, enjoy a two-point advantage over Cardiff, who have leaked 30 more goals (than Fareham) – but that could turn around dramatically with a Welsh victory.
“A win will make us safe, but any other result means everything will hinge on the last round of matches, when we entertain Ashmoor and Cardiff host third placed Chichester,” Davies said. “We want to get things sorted on Saturday.”
Fareham picked a a handy point from a 2-2 draw with second placed Isca in Exeter – the evergreen James Seager giving Fareham the lead before Chris Towler and Jon Wright gave the Devonian a 2-1 lead.
Chris Davey’s second half equalizer earned Fareham a precious point.
Fareham will need to keep their discipline – and all 11 players on the pitch – against Cardiff.  They’ve conceded far too many yellow cards this season, culminating in skipper George Davey being suspended for the Isca trip.
Cardiff will arrive at Henry Cort briming with confidence after scoring 12 goals in their last three unbeaten games, beating Cardiff & Met 3-2 and Ashmoor 5-1 either side of a 4-4 draw with Plymouth Marjon.
Fareham will have the support of their jubilant ladies team who will receive the South Central Women’s League trophy from Mike Ford, the Mayor of Fareham, before they push back against Southampton at 11.45.
They were three up inside eight minutes against Amersham & Chalfont and ran out 6-1 winners, with Rebecca Reavell (2), Gracie Coleman, Alicia Caillard, Holly Levine and Sarah Johns on target.

​Havant have wrapped up the West Conference title with two matches left – a nervy 2-1 win over Clifton Robinsons putting them in an unassailable positive above second placed Isca in the log.
It was Havant’s their 11th win in 16 outings – only Chichester have beaten them all season – and ensured a return to National South Division hockey next autumn.
It wasn’t a champagne performance by any means, indeed Havant needed a series of fine saves by their Polish international goalkeeper Maciej Pacanowski [pictured left] to keep them in the contest after an untidy opening half.
Havant’s sixth minute lead from a James Speke penalty corner drag flick didn’t last long as short corner specialist Tom Salmon put the Bristol side level and then almost score again.
Clifton, who had scored 23 times in six matches since the Christmas/New Year break, asked a lot of questions during the second quarter, with Pacanowski making vital saves to maintain the score at 1-1.
Havant survived some more scrapes before Jonathan Pickett sent an unstoppable shot past Clifton keeper Andy Hughes to restore the lead at 2-1.
Belying their lowly league position, Clifton refused to lie down and five minutes from time had a potentially deserved equaliser disallowed.
Havant had got out of jail and went on to celebrate the championship.

Havant can put the celebratory champagne on ice after a 3-0 win over second placed Isca put them to within touching distant of England Hockey’s Western Conference title – and a return to National League South next season.
With a five-point lead already under their belts, Havant will be popping the corks if they beat Clifton Robinsons at Havant College on Sunday, 2pm.  Victory will give them an unassailable lead at the top.
Teenager Ben Hegan, who played England U16 hockey last season, scored twice, either side of a reverse stick shot by Bradley Lock – all three goals coming in the final 20 minutes.
It had been nip and tuck up until then, with both sides enjoying periods of possession without breaking the deadlock.
But in the latter stages of the third quarter Owen Barnes ran through from midfield and created the opportunity for Hegan to blast Havant in front.
It was the perfect tonic for Havant, who doubled their lead early in the final quarter through Lock and then added a third late on when Hegan pounced on a rebound.
Fareham hadn’t won a single game since late November and were hovering uneasily on the lip of the relegation zone after losing four of their five West Conference games in 2023.
But all that changed with a 6-1 drubbing of Chichester, who came within an ace of beating Havant the previous week – the divisional leaders rescuing a draw with a last gasp 2-2 equaliser.
The evergreen James Seager scored twice for Fareham, who hit three goals in each half.  Chris and George Davey, Fergus Jackson and Rob Santonna were also on target.

On the brink.  Fareham ladies could tie up the South Central Women's Premier Division title at Henley on Saturday lunchtime.
Standing [from left]: Steve Lemon, Sarah Johns, Alicia Calliard, Hannah Ward, Kiera Denham, Gracie Coleman, Poppy Roddis, Leah Payne, Rebecca Reavell, Sian Edwards, Nic Roddis, Stephen Morse. Front: Lucie Bishop, Tara Lemon, Sophia Barclay, Katie Paxman, Lydia Jackson, Aimee Timms .
Fareham ladies are within touching distance of being crowned South Central Women’s Hockey Premier Division champions.
They require just one single point from their last four matches to win the title and, with it, promotion to the National League Western Conference.
Fareham took two massive strides towards lifting the crown by beating their two nearest rivals Bournemouth 4-3 and second placed Oxford Hawks 1-0
Those two wins took their success tally to 16 victories from 18 games, with Oxford the only side to beat them.
Fareham edged out Bournemouth in a seven-goal thriller, three late goals at either end ensuring the outcome remained in the balance until the end.
A brace by Poppy Roddis and single strikes by Aimee Timms and Gracie Coleman won it for Fareham, who had Rebecca Reavell to thank for their 1-0 win over Oxford Hawks.

Fareham ladies will be all but mathematically assured of the South Central Women’s Premier Division title if they see off their two nearest rivals in a Henry Cort double header this weekend.
They host third placed Bournemouth on Saturday (1.30) and on Sunday (11.15) host Oxford Hawks, who have won eight of their last 11 unbeaten games since mid-October. Fareham have so far won 14 of their 16 matches, losing only to the Oxford city club.
Promotion to the Western Conference will be all but assured if Fareham win. Meanwhile, there’s a mad scramble to avoid relegation from the WC with Basingstoke and Trojans occupying the last two places in the log.  Just three points separate the bottom seven teams, with Oxford Hawks the visitors to Down Grange and Trojans heading west to play Exe.