Bemerton Heath Harlequins 8 Alresford Town 1: THE MAGPIES fielded five reserves with a combined total of four first-team starts between them in their final away game of a traumatic season.

It speaks volumes that of the starting 11, only Ben Stanbrook was with the club in August, and only 12 fit men were available despite different 52 players appearing in Alresford’s black-and-white stripes since the start of the season. Lewis Cook slid in at the far post in the fourth minute of this one-sided encounter, converting Jack Lovell’s low cross to start the goal avalanche. Sam Griffin’s penalty kick pinged back into play off of the post, but further goals by Cook and Dan Thompson made it 3-0 at the break.

Harlequins scored three more times in the first 11 minutes of the second half, Lovell nodding in, Brad Magookin flicking a header past Will Barnett and Lovell adding the sixth after a surge through the middle.

Debutant Louis Baldacchino scored an excellent consolation goal on 59 minutes, curling a long-distance shot over Max Frampton and in off the underside of the Bemerton crossbar. But that was merely a brief stay of execution. Further goals from Griffin and sub Jack Slade made up the eight-goal home tally.

Alresford sign off with a home game against Newport on Saturday.