Beavers face big challenge

8:22am Friday 16th May 2008

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Alan Devonshire admits Hampton & Richmond have a tough act to follow next season after coming within a controversial handball decision of securing Blue Square Premier football.

The Beavers went down 2-0 to Eastbourne Borough in the Blue Square South play-off final at Stevenage Borough on Thursday, with both goals coming in the last 10 minutes.

Earlier, referee Ron Ganfield had waved away Lawrence Yaku's penalty appeals after Eastbourne defender Darren Baker appeared to handled with the striker poised to strike from six yards.

The game looked to be heading into extra-time before late goals from Nathan Crabb and Paul Armstrong broke Hampton hearts, a disappointing finish to a remarkable first season at the highest level in the club's history.

Devonshire cursed the Beavers' luck as they squandered a host of half-chances, and confessed it would be a difficult task to repeat the campaign's unprecedented success.

"It was bitterly disappointing to lose. You can handle it if they were the better side, but I think their first goal was only their second shot all game," he said.

"It was a blatant penalty. I could see it from 50 yards away.

"If we had got the decision and scored, I am certain we would have gone on to win.

"We know it is going to be hard next season because everybody knows what we are capable of.

"But we have proved we can play a few different ways and we are looking forward to it."

Hampton had the best of the chances, with Ryan Lake, Orlando Jeffrey - who had a header cleared off the line - and Alan Inns going close, but they failed to recapture the form that dismissed champions Lewes 6-0 last month.

However, Devonshire is confident his side can rediscover the form that brought them 87 league goals this season.

"They played really well, we just didn't have the ball fall for us in the box," he added.

"We may not have knocked the ball around as well as we would have liked, but I don't think Eastbourne let us.

"We have proved we can handle the big occasion and big games this season and it is something we can work on."

Hampton's failure to secure promotion, which could have scooped the club a £250,000 bounty next season, could see one or two faces leave the Beveree in the summer.

But Devonshire, who confirmed five players had already agreed in-principle to another campaign, does not believe there will be a major financial overhaul at the club.

"These are exciting times. The people involved at the top of the club are young and ambitious," he said.

"There is already talk of making the necessary ground improvements to make sure we are ready for the step up when it comes."