HAMPSHIRE Under-16s have won the South County Youth Championship for the second time in three seasons after winning six of their seven matches.

They clinched the title by beating Middlesex 2-0 and Buckinghamshire 3-2, with Fareham's Luke Gould and Havant's Steve Batten scoring in both games. Campbell Hancock (Haslemere) hit the winner against Bucks.

Skipper Luke Holdcroft, Matt Harper and ten-goal top scorer James Lawson have gone on to represent the South at Under-15 level, while Batten and City of Portsmouth's Andy Pett have been called up for England Under-16 training squads.

In the Under-15s Hampshire finished two points behind Kent in the South Under-15 County Championships - even though they maintained an unbeaten record through the eight-team group.

They drew 1-1 with Kent, the eventual winners, in their opening game, but that was the only game the Garden county failed to win.

Also held by Berkshire, Hampshire celebrated resounding wins over Sussex (4-0), Middlesex (6-2) and Buckinghamshire (4-0), prior to beating Oxford (3-2) and Surrey (2-1) in their final group matches.

Rob Wilson, Jon Kinder and Simon Faulkner (penalty) were on target as they came from behind to beat Oxford, while Kinder and Mike Russell scored in the Surrey victory.