ESCAPE artists extraordi-naire Hamble ASSC can look forward to their 16th season in the Jewson Wessex League after dicing with death at Folland Park on Saturday.

With just over a minute of normal time remaining in their must-win final game against Wimborne, the Planemakers were 2-1 down and heading for a crash landing straight into the Hampshire League.

Even when youth team graduate Steve Whitcher threw them the lifeline of an 89th-minute leveller, it still looked like curtains for Larry Clay's men, who started the day two points adrift of Swanage & Herston at the foot of the table.

But, as the game spilled into stoppage time, Hamble's prayers were miraculously answered when former Andover and Newport defender Mark Smith, the ASSC captain, volleyed home from a corner with just 40 seconds remaining, sending the sinking Swans through the trap door instead.

"You can imagine what the celebrations were like at the final whistle," smiled an ecstatic Clay, who became Hamble's third manager of a turbu-lent season just two months ago.

"I always said it would go to the last game, but I never imagined it would be the last 40 seconds!

"The players' commit-ment and attitude has been brilliant and we live to fight another day."

Hamble had taken the lead with a 28th-minute Mike Edwards goal but seemed to take their foot off the pedal when news fil-tered up that Swanagewere four down against Brockenhurst.

Two Mark Dancer strikes thrust them into second-half arrears, but no one at Folland Park could have anticipated the drama that was about to unfold.

"We had the secretary of the Hampshire League watching the match and I was about to shake his hand and introduce myself for next season," smiled Hamble secretary, Matt Newbold.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet what's happened, but I'll start to believe it when I put the forms in the post to the Jewson Wessex League this week."

Hamble's miraculous escape spelled the end for Swanage Town & Herston, whose 6-0 defeat by Brockenhurst sent their goals-against tally rocketing to 174.

Swanage, who conceded 23 goals in the last three games alone, lost 20 of their last 23 games. Their last win came against Whitchurch United in late November.

Four-goal Paul Sims burried the Swans. Gareth Barnes and Chris Marwood got the other goals.

"Finishing sixth equals our best ever in the Wessex League," purred assistant manager Chris Collinge.

"Taking into account what we did in the FA Cup and FA Vase, it's been a pretty successful season overall."

Brock finished the season with seven straight wins - but, agonisingly, on the 99- goal mark.

"The last 20 minutes Gareth Barnes spent trying to get our 100th goal and his 30th of the season, but he wasn't able to do it," Collinge chuckled.

Downton finished three points above Hamble, despite losing 3-0 to Eastleigh, while Whitchurch United ended the season on a 13-match barren run after a 4-2 defeat at Blackfield & Langley.