ANDY Tipp couldn’t help but dream of what might have been as he watched his bottom-of-the-table Totton & Eling side thrash Horndean 5-0 on Tuesday.

With seven more games left to play – starting at home to Hamworthy tomorrow – Tipp reckons ‘The Great Escape’ from the Sydenhams Premier relegation zone is still achievable.

But after watching Chris Marwood’s hat-trick and a brace from new signing Mark Osman demolish the Deans, he could only wonder how much less stressful this season would have been had those two players, among others, been around all along.

T&E stalwarts Steve Marwood, Steve Jenkin, Danny Steer and Adam Lowther have all drifted back into fold, loathe to let the club slide backwards and undo all the hard work of the 2008/09 Divison One title-winning campaign.

They have been joined by Marwood’s brother Chris, another T&E old boy, and more recently by local hero Osman who has come out of retirement to try and sprinkle some of his old AFC Totton stardust on the Millers’ survival fight. “The side we put out on Tuesday was the strongest we’ve had in a long time and you’d have to say that had we had that team all season we wouldn’t be down at the bottom,” said Tipp.

“The 65 minutes Mark Osman got under his belt at Bemerton last week gave him the zest he needed and we saw the Osey of old against Horndean.

“Mark enjoys playing with Chris Marwood because Chris is an intelligent footballer who can put him in the positions he loves.

“We had Steve Jenkin back too and they played well as a three up front. If one was marked out of it, you knew one of the others would get in.

“Horndean have had a great season, but maybe they took their foot off the pedal thinking Totton & Eling away was going to be easy.

“This result had been coming. It only took us to play a side who were not quite as up for it as we were.”

The Millers have further bolstered their squad with an up-and-coming youngster.

Connor Hoare made a promising debut off the bench on Tuesday having switched camps from league rivals AFC Portchester.

“Connor played some games at right-back for Portchester last season but he’d not been getting as much game time as he wanted lately and was recommended to me,” Tipp explained.

“He wants to get into the pro ranks and has got a trial with Brentford coming up in the summer and needs to be playing more.

“I believe he was on Fulham’s books for a time. He’s another good addition for the last seven games.”

Tuesday’s landslide victory leaves the Millers two points behind second-to-bottom Fareham and three adrift of 19th-placed Christchurch who have played a game more than the other two.

With Fareham entertaining title contenders Winchester City tomorrow and Priory without a game, victory for T&E against the mid-table Hammers would put a very interesting slant on the bottom three.

Sydenhams Premier Division bottom three – remaining fixtures:

Christchurch - Andover Town (home, April 1), Bemerton HH (home, April 4), Bournemouth Poppies (away, April 6), Hamworthy Utd (away, April 11), Petersfield Town (home, April 18), Winchester City (home, April 25).

Fareham Town – Winchester City (home, March 28), Blackfield & Langley (home, March 31), Newport IoW (away, April 4), AFC Portchester (home, April 7), Hamworthy Utd (home, April 18), Newport IoW (home, April 21), Andover Town (away, April 25).

Totton & Eling – Hamworthy Utd (home, March 28), Bournemouth Poppies (home, March 31), Whitchurch Utd (away, April 4), Fawley AFC (home, April 6), Winchester City (away, April 11), Verwood Town (home, April 18), Horndean (away, April 25).