JESSE Waller-Lassen, hat-trick hero of Team Solent’s 4-1 win at Moneyfields on Saturday, has turned down a move to Blackfield & Langley.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youth player, who spent the summer in America, has arrived back with a bang, scoring five goals in two games.

Sydenhams Premier rivals Blackfield lodged notice of approach last week, but Solent boss James Taylor said: “Jesse won’t be going to Blackfield. I don’t think he’ll want to go anywhere else in this league while he’s doing his studies. He sees it as a backward step.”

Another of Solent’s pedigree players, ex-Arsenal academy midfielder Sam Byles, was back for the Moneyfields game.

After a slow start, the Students scored three times in the last ten minutes of the first half through Waller-Lassen (2) and Mark Jordan before Waller-Lassen completed his hat-trick midway through the second period. Connor Bailey hit back for the injury-hit Copnor club.

“The scoreline doesn’t reflect quite how tough the game was, but we hit a good patch before half-time,” said Taylor.

“I had to make a substitution after three seconds when, straight from the kick-off, our right-back Mike Wheeler headed the ball and got dizzy and Sam Steel had to go on. Mike had been struggling with his neck and I think the dizziness was connected.”

The Solent boss has a busy week ahead with 500 new University lads signed up for trials and an FA Vase tie to prepare for at home to Shaftesbury Town on Saturday.

The Students saw off Christchurch after extra time in the last round of the Vase and Taylor said: “Before this year we’d never won an FA Cup or Vase match, so it’s quite an achievement.”