Dorset Senior Cup – Hamworthy Rec

(Cockrams, Coppice Street, Shaftesbury)

Tuesday night sees us face Velocity Wessex League Division 1 champions Hamworthy Recreation in our final game of the season following Saturdays play off victory at AFC Stoneham that saw the club promoted to Step 4 for the first time ever.

We reached the final having defeated Swanage Town & Herston 3-0, Dorchester Town 1-0 and by courtesy of Poole Town’s withdrawal from the semi final due to their backlog of league games in the Pitching In Southern Premier Division.

Brett Pitman 61, Cameron Beard 16, Callum Sweeney 11, Steve Devlin 7, Greg Peel 6, Asa Philips 6, Stuart Green 5, Louis Kellaway 4, Steve Walker 4, Ashley Pope 4, Ben Satterley 2, Joe Wickham 2, Billy Maybury 2, Ash Wells 1, Sam Davidson 1, Aaron Roberts 1,

Hamworthy Recreation pretty much went through Division 1 like Moneyfields did the Premier Division and have been on an amazing upward trajectory after years of dominating the Dorset Premier League, then having to upgrade their facilities to meet Wessex League criteria with a seated, stand, covered standing and floodlights.

The club overcame the problems caused by the weather causing postponements on their Magna Road ground by playing games at Hamworthy United FC (the County Ground) and even defeated Whitchurch United here 11-1. They reached the final by seeing off South West Peninsula (East Division) Bridport

Rec won the 1st Division with 100 points, which with challengers Millbrook and Downton on 94 points with Alresford Town in 4th place with 81 points and Fleetlands taking the final spot on goal difference from East Cowes Victoria with both sides having accumulated 75 points followed on in the play off places.

Hamworthy Recreation scored 143 goals in the league with runners up Millbrook getting an incredible 152 and Downton 121. Since defeating East Cowes Victoria 3-1 on April 13th and being crowned champions they have picked up one point in five games playing five games in eleven days!

You will of course know former ‘Rockies’ coach and manager Wayne Smith has been part of that success and a number of former ‘Rockies’ including top scorers Chris Long and Tyler Rudd, Aaron Roberts, Brian Foulger and Brad Hill have moved over to Magna Road.

📝 Recent Form – 13/4 East Cowes Victoria (H) W 3-1, 16/4 Fleetlands (H) L 0-1, 18/4 Downton (H) L 0-1, 20/4 Clanfield (A) L 1-3, 23/4 Alresford Town (A) D 0-0, 27/4 – Millbrook (A) L 2-4

🎯 Marksmen – Chris Long 47, George Deem 31, Tyler Rudd 19, Ben Cooper 10, Frank Rosenwauld 7, Louis McWilliams 7, Harvey Doe 7, Bradley Cherrett 3, Brian Foulger 3, Tom Cooper 3, Ashley Boyt 2, Alfie Matthews 3, George Pike 3, Aaron Roberts 3, Oliver Wilson 3, Will Gage 2, James King 2, Edward Hodge 1, Lewis McMurdo 1, Oliver Woolley 1.

🐿️ Fun Facts – Hamworthy Recreation were the Velocity Wessex League side that reached the furthest round in the Isuzu FA Vase going out on penalties in the 4th Round to Jersey Bulls after a 1-1 draw in front of 536 fans. This was the clubs first season in the FA Vase.

🐿️ Hamworthy Recreation were previously known as Hamworthy Engineering up until 2000. Winning the last Dorset Combination League in 2000/01 before the league changed it’s name to the Dorset Premier League in 2002.

They have won the title nine times. They finished 4th in their first Wessex League Division 1 campaign in 2022/23.

🐿️ Shaftesbury won the 1994/95 Dorset Combination League Cup with a 4-2 win over Hamworthy Engineering at Days Park, Swanage.

Article by Avril Lancaster

Hamworthy Recreation ‘s George Deem celebrates another goal in the 11-1 win over Whitchurch United here in November.