GOSPORT Borough are celebrating a miracle escape from relegation.
On an incredible afternoon for Portsmouth area teams, Havant & Waterlooville won the Vanarama National League South title, AFC Portchester lifted the Sydenhams League Cup and Borough miraculously assured themselves of Evo-Stik South Premier survival.
Gosport had looked dead and buried at one stage, but three straight victories dug them out of a very deep hole.
Having beaten Frome and doomed relegation rivals Dunstable Town, they completed the great escape with a 4-0 victory at St Neots on Saturday courtesy of Ben Wright, Ed Saunders, Luca Wrightman and Joe Lea.
Borough’s cause was helped by the dismissal of St Neots’ George Bugg when they were 1-0 up.
Havant earned the right to join Eastleigh in the National League next season by pipping Dartford to the South title on goal difference, lifting them into non-League's top flight for the first time in their history.
Nerves were jangling at Westleigh Park when, after leading 2-0 through Theo Lewis and Matt Tubbs, they were pulled back to 2-2 by Concord Rangers, but a late Jason Prior winner sent the 2,270 crowd into dreamland.
While Havant were joyous, there was misery for Poole Town who have been relegated back to the Evo-Stik South Premier.
The Dolphins did their bit by beating Oxford City 2-0 through on-loan Eastleigh striker James Constable and James Devlin, but Hungerford’s 1-0 win at East Thurrock condemned them to 20th spot.
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