BEMERTON HEATH 8, ALRESFORD TN 1

RELEGATED Alresford fielded five reserves with a combined total of four first-team starts between them in their final away game of a traumatic Sydenhams Premier League season.

Not surprisingly, with youngsters thrown in at the deep end, the Magpies floundered.

It speaks volumes that of the starting eleven, only Ben Stanbrook was with the club in August and only 12 fit men were available, despite 52 different names appearing in the 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 pinged back into play off the post, but further goals by Cook and Dan Thompson put Bemerton 3-0 ahead at the break.

Harlequins scored three more times in the first 11 minutes of the second half. Lovell nodded in, Brad Magookin flicked a header past Will Barnett and Lovell added 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 crossbar.

But further goals from Griffin and substitute Jack Slade took Bemerton’s tally to a handsome eight.

Alresford sign off with a home game against Newport this Saturday. The end of the season cannot come soon enough.