HAMWORTHY United boss Simon Browne was less than impressed to arrive at Fawley only to be told the match was off – by the opposition’s players!

The Hammers had a wasted 70-mile round-trip to the Waterside Sports Club with puddles in the middle of the pitch preventing any action on Saturday.

And Browne blasted the lack of communication from his Wessex Premier rivals following the unnecessary trek.

United’s manager said: “We arrived to see a few of their players leaving and they told us it was off. That was the first we heard about it.

“I had a look at the pitch and spoke to the referee and there was a big puddle in the middle of the playing surface.

“The most annoying thing is that they didn’t have a pitch inspection. We left Hamworthy at 12.15 and you would have thought they could have let us know the match was in doubt before then.

“We now have to deal with the costs of the minibus, a wasted day on the road and the fact that it was too late by then to get a training session in so I was not pleased.

“I know it can be difficult to get games on in this weather and I don’t want to get into a slanging match with Fawley, but I am disappointed they didn’t ask for a pitch inspection to make the call earlier.”

Games involving Christchurch and Verwood Town were also postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

  • New Milton Town sank to the bottom of the Wessex Premier after a 5-0 thrashing at home to in-form Blackfield & Langley.

Darren Curtis’s men suffered their fifth straight league defeat after goals from Kevin Gibbens, Dave Ewen, Alex Baldacchino (2) and Cherries youngster Brandon Goodship settled a one-sided clash at Fawcett’s Field.

The result sees the Linnets slip below previous backmarkers Lymington Town who won 2-0 at Totton & Eling.

Linnets: Hookway, Fox, De’ath, Barge, Blackburn, Donaldson, Roberts, Booker (Cox, 55), Egerton, Thompson (Whitcher, 65), Holloway. Unused sub: Sampays.