Title-winning Baffins Milton Reserves seeking new county-wide challenge in 2023/24

By Simon Carter
Published 20th Apr 2023, 16:56 BST
From left - Kieron Hoolihan, Darren Lambe and Steve Ledger with the Hampshire Combination East Division trophy. Picture: BMR FC.From left - Kieron Hoolihan, Darren Lambe and Steve Ledger with the Hampshire Combination East Division trophy. Picture: BMR FC.
From left - Kieron Hoolihan, Darren Lambe and Steve Ledger with the Hampshire Combination East Division trophy. Picture: BMR FC.
Baffins Milton Rovers Reserves have applied to play in the Hampshire Premier League next season.

Rovers are keen to progress after winning the Hampshire Development East division title.

The silverware was secured in midweek when Dec Seiden and Morgan Moret netted in a 2-0 win over Harvest Reserves at the PMC Stadium.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was a 17th successive league win since Steve Ledger was appointed manager in early September, after Baffins had lost their opening two games.

Rovers will now aim for 18th straight league victory in their final game at AFC Portchester this weekend.

Ledger told The News: ‘To win 17 league games in a row is absolutely crazy, I don’t know if it’s been done in this league before.

‘We’ve come a long way since my first training session. There were only players on the back pitch at Baffins, it was hammering it down with rain, and I had to put my boots on aged 44 to make up the numbers!’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘The squad keep on astonishing me every week. You don’t think they can get any better, and they do. They keep getting better and better.’

Ledger strengthened his numbers by bringing over a handful of players he had managed at previous club Paulsgrove, who play in the top flight of the Hampshire Premier League.

He also persuaded George Burgess and Morgan Moret to carry on playing, while young Jake Jellineck has also impressed.

Ledger added: ‘George Burgess, the captain, was thinking of giving up football. Morgan Moret, who’s been a revelation, wasn’t going to bother anymore.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We wanted to try and get their spark back, make them fall back in love with the game again.

‘Jake Jellineck had never played 11-a-side men’s football before. One of our players, Archie Scott, knew him from playing five-a-side at Goals. He can play midfield or full-back, he’s going to be some player.’

The manager continued: ‘I couldn’t have done this without Kieron Hoolihan and Darren Lambe. We all have different opinions and we bounce them off each other. It’s those opinions which have got us to where we are today.’

Hoolihan and Lambe both worked with Ledger at Paulsgrove.