PETERSFIELD Town hope their surprise Sydenhams Premier title success will persuade the league’s lesser lights that dreams really can come true.

When they were promoted as Division One champions last summer, few expected the Rams to take the Wessex top flight by storm.

Three-time champions Winchester City had been heavily tipped for the title and the Citizens have certainly piled on the pressure in recent weeks, stringing together 11 games unbeaten – ten of them victories.

But by the time Winchester hit top gear, Petersfield had already opened up a lead which they stubbornly refused to relinquish.

“We’ve had to get results because Winchester have been winning every game,” said Town vice-chairman Graeme Moir.

“You look at them and third-placed Portchester (unbeaten in eight league games) and they must be sat there now thinking if only they hadn’t lost or drawn too many at the beginning of the season.

“But hopefully us winning the title has enlivened the Wessex League a bit.

“Everyone thought Winchester would walk it, but I’d like to think we’ve given all the other clubs hope and they’ll be thinking: ‘If they can do it, so can we.’ “A lot of what we’ve achieved has been built on pure belief.”

With Step 4 ground grading in the bag, Petersfield must wait until next month to discover what league they will be allocated to.

There has been talk of them favouring the Isthmian (Ryman) route that their predecessors Petersfield United took in the 1980s/90s.

But Moir said: “I don’t think we really mind whether it’s Southern League or Isthmian. We’re just happy to be there.

“John Ward from the FA spoke at a Wessex League meeting and wouldn’t be drawn on where teams are going, but he said there could be a lot of lateral movement.

“We’ve moved very quickly as a club and we’ve got a lot of work to do now to establish ourselves at the next level.

“We’ve been swamped with messages of goodwill and it’s up to us now to garner that support and use it to set ourselves up as a Step 4 club.”

  • TOTTON & Eling’s Andy Tipp is praying Petersfield Town’s title-winning hangover will have subsided by the time the champions rock up at Christchurch tomorrow.

On paper third-to-bottom Priory have the two toughest games to contend with as the Sydenhams Premier relegation scrap comes to a head in the next eight days.

Adie Arnold’s side entertain Petersfield tomorrow and second-placed Winchester City on April 25 which, at any other time of the season, would have been two of the toughest tests imaginable.

But with the title done and dusted, the fear for second-to-bottom Totton & Eling and tailenders Fareham Town – is that the top two won’t be playing with their usual intensity.

Tipp, whose T&E side sit four points behind Priory with two games to play, said: “With the league (title) already decided, I think Christchurch are favourites to stay up, but you never know.

“I just hope Petersfield and Winchester won’t take their foot off the gas.

“Winchester told us last week that they’d do everything they could to beat Christchurch and I don’t think Ian Saunders would send a Petersfield side out who didn’t give 100 per cent.”

Remaining fixtures for the Sydenhams Premier bottom three -

Christchurch (played 38, 29 points) – April 18 Petersfield Town (H), April 25 Winchester City (H)

Totton & Eling (played 38, 25 points) – April 18 Verwood Town (H), April 25 Horndean (A)

Fareham Town (played 37, 23 points) – April 18 Hamworthy Utd (H), April 21 Newport IoW (H), April 25 Andover Town (A)