MUD LARK

Hythe & Dibden were just wild about Chris Wilding last Sunday as they clinched the Southampton Tyro League Under-14 Division 3 championship in some style.

Sensational super sub Wilding came off the bench at half-time and scored a staggering eight times as the Watersiders reeled off a twelfth consecutive victory with a 12-0 thrashing of Worthies.

And as the second half of an Under-14 match is only 35 minutes long, that works out at a goal for every 4 minutes 22.5 seconds that crackshot Chris was on the pitch!

"It was amazing," said club secretary Steve Lockhart. "We were only 2-0 up at half-time and then Chris came on and scored all his goals.

"Chris normally plays from the start but he was dropped for this game because he didn't turn up for training in midweek," added Lockhart.

Fourteen-year-old Chris, who attends Noadswood School, normally plays in midfield and had previously netted five goals in 12 outings this season.

It was quite a day for Tyro hotshots last Sunday despite the programme being vastly reduced due to the wet weather (again!).

In the Under-11 section, cool hand Luke Buck also bagged himself eight goals as Sholing sunk 22 unanswered goals past Division 5 basement battlers Hythe Strikers B.

Division 6's deadly duo of Jason Frewin and Linclon McLean each plundered five goals as Eastpoint lashed Lordswood 17-0 and Daniel Martin left Wyvern B smartin' with a fiesty foursome in Totton's 14-0 spree.

TRICKY TRIO HIT TARGET FOR LANGLEY 77 TIMES

Langley Manor's Under-11's terrific threesome of Luke Morley, James Elmore and Ben Yates have netted a staggering 77 goals between them in just ten games of a rain-interrupted Southampton Tyro League season so far.

Manager's son Luke has proved he's just not in the team 'cos Dad is in charge with 28 goals, James Elmore boasts 27 and Ben Yates has 22 to his name from an attacking midfield role.

It meant that going into last Sunday's crunch Hampshire Cup fifth round clash with Gosport Borough, Langley had scored 99 goals to date this season and the reaching of three figures would hopefully signify them reaching the last eight of the County competition.

For a team which has found the net with alarming regularity this season, the Manor boys looked a bit like Saints of late as they created and missed a whole host of early opportunities.

And Gosport made them pay dearly for those wasted chances when the impressive Connor Mills fired Borough into a first half lead.

Just when it looked as though the Echo was going to get the blame for the boys first blank of the season came that elusive Langley Manor equaliser - and their 100th goal of the season.

Luke Morley made a penetrating run in from the right with his pace taking him away from the Gosport defender and, from the byline, his near post cross was bundled over the goalline by the chest of Ben Yates.

Both teams rattled the woodwork, Langley had a clear penalty turned down and Gosport had a goal disallowed, but this close encounter was destined for extra-time.

By now Borough's central defender Scott Allen had limped out of the action with an injured ankle but the visitors stormed ahead again in the first period of extra-time when a neat build-up ended with that man Connor Mills striking home another superb effort.

I felt that might be it for Langley so I planned my early exit but, within 90 seconds, Gosport failed to clear from a corner and Luke Morley stabbed home the loose ball from five yards.

From then on there was only going to be one winner as Gosport's overworked depleted numbers fell behind for the first time six minutes from the end when Nick Weaving knocked a ball over the top of the defence for Ben Yates to sprint clear and slot past the Borough keeper.

With Gosport having to push forward, Langley made it 4-2 right on time as James Elmore squared a neat pass into Luke Morley who supplied the lethal finish.

GIRLS URGED TO SIGN UP FOR THE SAINTS FAMILY

AS Saints prepare to move to the new St Mary's Friends Provident Stadium, the club is not forgetting the other half of the population.

They appointed Sue Lopez MBE as head of women's football last August to organise lots of cool activities.

There is something for girls of every level of ability, including beginners - so join the Saints family of football and play the game, its fun, its cool and it's the fastest growing sport for girls!

If you've never played before, or you are already playing, you must join a Saints Soccer School near you during February half-term.

You receive an attendance award, and have lots of competitions in which you can win more prizes.

And of course you get to play against other girls of similar standard and age, and your qualified coach will help you learn more skills.

The courses are at Basingstoke Football Club on February 19 and 23, Homefield School, Winkton, Christchurch on Monday, February 19, and at Alverstoke Junior School, in Gosport on Tuesday, February 20 and Wednesday, February 21.

If you enjoy yourself, you may want to join regular evening girls-only coaching at a Saints Coaching Centre where qualified coaches will help you. These are based at Basingstoke Football Club with Emma Parrant; Homefield School with Frank Hunt; The Saints Gymnasium at The Dell with Alex Harrington; Clayfields Rec Centre with Jan Fry; Toynbee School, Chandlers Ford (under-12s only) with Nicky Whiteman and Gosport's Privett Park with Julie Way.

Girls who want to play regularly at a good level can join a Southampton Saints Youth team - under-10s, under-12s, under-14s or under-15s.

The best way to progress is to trial for the Saints Girls Centre of Excellence next July.

The best 15 girls train regularly at King Edward VI School in Southampton, near The Dell. They play matches against other Centres such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Charlton and Millwall.

So, get going girls, join the Saints, and you never know where it could lead, but for sure you will enjoy Saints Soccer activities for girls.

For more details on Half Term Soccer Schools or Girls Coaching Centres, telephone Saints Community Office on 0870 2200 170.

* FOR THE LATEST TYRO LEAGUE TABLES SEE TODAY'S SOUTHERN DAILY ECHO