MANAGER Adie Arnold guided Verwood Town to a promotion place and then immediately set his sights on bringing the title to Potterne Park.

Potters guaranteed a top-two finish in Wessex Division One as results worked in the favour on Saturday.

Verwood’s 3-0 home victory over Pewsey Vale, coupled with defeat for third-placed Team Solent, means the league leaders can now only be caught by championship rivals AFC Portchester.

With two teams set to go up to the Premier Division, Potters could get their promotion rubber-stamped when their Potterne Park home is inspected on Wednesday. The signs appear to be positive as a Wessex League twitter account, @mattwessex, congratulated Verwood on achieving promotion on Saturday evening.

Long-serving boss Arnold told the Daily Echo: “I don’t think it will sink in until the fixtures come out.

“There are a lot of people behind the scenes at Verwood who have put in a lot of work to get the club where we are going – which is the Wessex Premier.

“We have guaranteed a top-two spot and promotion, so we are really looking to finish on a high now by winning the title.

“I think we will have to win all three of our remaining games to win it because of the way AFC Portchester are going.”

Arnold also reported that Verwood had completed all of the ground-grading tasks they had been asked to finish.

Potters’ latest victory saw them record a third consecutive clean sheet and fifth successive win.

The goals came from Mike Haskell and Kristopher Anderton in the first half, with Charlie Gajic converting a late penalty.

Verwood are eight points clear of AFC Portchester, who have two games in hand, while Team Solent are 13 behind with only 12 points to play for.

Potters: Lynch, Evans, Delaney, Kelly, Anderton, Dyer (Dear, 80), Webb (Shepherd, 80), Gajic, Wrixton (Rose, 65), Homer, Haskell. Unused subs: Wilson, Rhodes (g/k).

• Relegation-threatened Wessex Premier outfit New Milton Town suffered a 1-0 derby defeat against Lymington Town on Friday night.

Joe Maxwell netted the only goal at Fawcett’s Field, where 125 spectators took advantage of free entry. Milton’s Maurice Stuart was sent off for two bookable offences.

Linnets: Rowe, Davies (Bailey, 65, Graham, 70), Donaldson, Stuart, Curtis, Case, Preston, Tanner, Baldacchino (Holland, 60), Moth, Lofters-Desport. Unused subs: Morris, Amey (g/k).

• Christchurch recorded a sixth consecutive league win with a 2-0 away victory over Fareham Town.

Priory fielded seven home-grown graduates of their under-18s team as goals from Russell Cook and Ben Osborne sealed the three points.

Priory: Collins, Thompson, Legg, Taylor, Costello, Burt, Smith, Fairbrother (Harris, 75), Osborne (Kittle, 75), Cook (Cornick, 80), Griffin. Unused subs: Lovell, Dand.

• Bournemouth Poppies secured a 3-1 home win against Newport (IOW).

Luke Ingram, Dave Ewen and Sean Hogan were on target before Newport netted a late consolation.

Poppies: Frampton, Molyneaux, Jackson, Byrne, Crutcher, Leadbetter, Ingram, Cream (Watt, 71), Ewen, Hogan (Brennan, 80), Swann. Unused subs: Mas, Phillipson-Masters, Vaughan (g/k).