FOOTBALL: Jewson Wessex League

Christchurch 1, Whitchurch Utd 0

WHITCHURCH United's seven-season tenure in the Wessex League looks to be at an end after they finished bottom of the table following this narrow defeat last Saturday.

United went into their last game needing to win to avoid last place - but only if second-from-bottom Blackfield & Langley failed to win as well.

In the event, Blackfield drew 1-1 at Alton, so a Whitchurch win would have guaranteed safety - but the players weren't to know that, of course.

Saturday's game was a tense affair in which the visitors only rarely showed flashes of attacking flair. Chris Iddles was in good form on the right flank, and it was he who produced United's best effort of the first half when he robbed Neil Massie and advanced to test Christchurch keeper Max Frampton with a low curler.

At the other end, Lee Manning and Ben Griffiths worked hard for each other, but Griffiths squandered Christchurch's best chance when he was unable to control a steeply-bounching ball and hooked his shot over Dave Smalley's crossbar.

The pace was quicker in the second half, but again there were few chances and one goal always looked likely to win it. That goal came after 62 minutes through home sub Scott Joyce, who knocked down the ball for Ross Edwards in midfield, advanced to collect the return pass and slipped the ball into the corner of the net as Smalley dived at his feet.

United attacked with fewer inhibitions after that, but after James Scrivens' 85th minute shot bounced to safety off of the post probably sensed that it wasn't to be their day.

In the end, their margin of defeat was the slimmest possible, highlighting the narrow margin between success and failure in a highly competitive league.

l There's still one last straw for Whitchurch to cling onto, however. If, as seems likely, champions Eastleigh are promoted to the Dr Martens League there may be an extra vacancy in the Jewson Wessex since none of the four teams to be relegated from the Dr Martens are in the Wessex catchment area.

Assuming that Hampshire Premier champions Winchester City are promoted to the Wessex, that would still leave one place either for another newcomer or for Whitchurch to retain their own status.