GRAHAM Kemp’s last game in charge of Bemerton Heath Harlequins ended in defeat last night.
They lost the Salisbury Hospital Cup final 1-0 to a Salisbury side still licking their wounds after missing out on promotion via the Southern One South & West play-offs.
Eddie Perrett bagged the only goal of the game in the tenth minute to consign his old club Harlequins to their second cup final loss in the space of a week.
It followed their penalty shootout defeat to AFC Portchester in the Russell Cotes Cup .
Salisbury boss Steve Claridge made five changes to the side beaten by Tiverton in the play-offs, but kept top goalscorer Tommy Wright in the squad.
He said afterwards: “It was lovely to win. The lads got a medal and a reward in what has been a good season."
The Whites got off to a brilliant start when Lewis Benson played in Perrett who ran at the Bemerton defence and struck a low shot into the bottom corner via the post.
Salisbury could have doubled their lead on the half-hour, but Perrett was denied by keeper Dan Kovacs who later thwarted Chris Onoufriou and Wright.
Bemerton stepped things up after the break but, try as they might, they couldn’t find a way past Salisbury’s defence.
“My lads were superb second half,” said Kemp. “We gave 100 per cent and ran ourselves to a standstill.”
The match brought the curtain down on Kemp's 26-month Bemerton reign.
Replacing him at the Western Way helm is former Downton boss Rae Hughes.
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