Dev hopes to call on big-match experience

6:43am Thursday 8th May 2008

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Alan Devonshire is hoping the memory of lifting the Ryman League Premier Division on the final day of last season can inspire Hampton & Richmond to promotion glory.

The Beavers needed a 4-2 penalty shootout triumph to edge past Fisher Athletic at the weekend, setting up a winner-takes-all Blue Square South play-off final against Eastbourne Borough at Stevenage Borough FC tonight.

Devonshire's side beat Slough Town in the final round last season to lift the league trophy in front of more than 1,000 fans at the Beveree.

Hampton are yet to beat Eastbourne in the league this season, having added a 0-0 draw to an opening-day 2-0 home defeat to their Sussex rivals.

But Devonshire, whose side is unbeaten in their past 14 games, believes neither side has an edge going in to the game, which will be screened live on Setanta Sports.

"It is as big a game as the last game of last season, when we had to beat Slough Town to win the title," he said.

"There is a slight difference due to the fact we are playing for a place at Conference level.

"I don't think there is much to choose between the two teams - they finished second and we finished third - but I would say we are still the underdogs."

Hampton put the controversy surrounding Fisher's on-loan keeper Carl Pentney behind them to take the game to penalties as the scores finished 0-0 at the end of extra-time.

Leicester City trainee Pentney had been drafted in on a seven-day loan to solve a goalkeeping crisis after youth-team understudy Chris Lewington had pulled up injured ahead of last week's 1-1 first-leg draw.

And former West Ham United winger Devonshire, who watched late substitute Glen Harris blast home the winning penalty after Fisher had blazed two over, was delighted Pentney had no say in the final outcome.

"We were quietly confident once we went to extra-time," he said.

"They probably had the better of the first half, but we had our chances in the second.

"It was a bit nervy, but you need a bit of luck.

"Scoring all our penalties gives you an idea of our character under pressure."