Dolan's delight as Tadley seal promotion

Tadley secured promotion to the Wessex Premier League after a strong finish to the season

EIGHT wins in their last nine Sydenhams Wessex Division 1 fixtures have guaranteed promotion for Danny Dolan and Tadley Calleva.

A 2-0 home win against Laverstock & Ford on Saturday sealed their fate as they finished in the third and final promotion spot.

After achieving a place in the Wessex Premier Division next year, Dolan said: “My goal was to finish in the top three and I have achieved that, so I am absolutely delighted and I have no complaints.”

Tadley concluded their league campaign on Monday night – a 2-0 defeat to Fawley – their first defeat since March 6.

Dolan said: “I think on Monday we were still suffering with a hangover, we had a bare 11 and my four substitutes were all injured.

“Scott Kinge had to go in goal in the second half because keeper Freddie Gee broke a finger and I made about eight changes.”

A win for Tadley earlier this week would have seen them move a place up to second as Andover New Street suffered a defeat, but the goal of promotion had already been achieved.

Dolan said: “I always said, for me out of the last six games we had, the East Cowes Victoria game would be the hardest.

“But we dominated that and I feel we gave our most professional performance, especially the second half.”

Tadley still have a chance of winning silverware this season as they face Premier League side Alresford Town in the last-four of the North Hants Senior Cup.

Dolan said: “Everyone is knackered from the run-in that we’ve had, but we’ll go into the game with the right frame of mind.

“If we get to another cup final, it would be nice because it would be our third year in a row and it would be nice to be third time lucky in the tournament.”

Dolan said that he’d be without Alex Charlick and captain Shaun Dallimore for the cup tie on Monday night.