However, the 3-0 defeat at Bemerton Heath Harlequins meant they finished in fourth place in the final table and the victory for the hosts meant they secured automatic promotion as league runners-up instead.

Unfortunately for Portchester their promotion push unravelled in the last six days of the season. They led the table from October 4 until April 20 - a total of 198 days or six and a half months.

Even going into the final round of matches the Royals held a two point advantage over AFC Stoneham and Bemerton but what was only their fourth league defeat of the season allowed the two chasing sides to leap frog them by 9.30pm on Tuesday evening.

Things had looked a lot brighter in the opening exchanges of this match at 7.45pm though, with Portchester looking confident against the home side.

However, the mood soon changed when Bemerton surged into a 2-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes and the several hundred Royals supporters who made the trip to Wiltshire soon had that sinking feeling that it wasn’t going to be their club’s day.

Bemerton took the lead on seven minutes when a ball into the box wasn’t cleared by the visiting defence and that allowed Greg Peel to gain possession and hit a shot through keeper Steven Mowthorpe’s legs and into the net.

The home side doubled their lead on 19 minutes when the visitors initially dealt with a free kick into their own penalty area. When the second attempt to clear the danger went up into the air, it was the home side who won the ball when it dropped down and eventually it found its way to Kane O’Keefe. He had his back to goal but that was no problem for him as he dispatched the ball into the net with an overhead kick.

Bemerton were looking dangerous with every attack at this stage and a shot from distance had Mowthorpe scrambling across his line but the ball dropped wide.

On 23 minutes they almost got their third when Oscar Johnston won possession on the edge of the box and drove forwards into the penalty area before trying to place the ball past Mowthorpe and it was only the keeper’s outstretched leg which prevented the ball from going in.

Four minutes later the home side went closer when a free kick was cleared to the edge of the box before being crossed in again and O’Keefe’s shot on goal hit the underside of the bar but bounced away from the goal.

The visitors had their first real chance of the game on 39 minutes when quick passing saw George Barker help the ball on into the path of Brett Pitman but his shot lacked the power needed to trouble keeper Patrick Creese.

In the closing minutes of the first half Mowthorpe had to palm away a cross from the left to prevent it going into the net and at the other end, Barker and Pitman combined to set up a chance for Jake Raine to shoot but he fired well over the target from 25 yards out.

A strong start to the second half was going to be essential for the Royals to have any chance of salvaging this game but it was game, set and match to Bemerton when they served up their third goal on 49 minutes.

A corner from the left proved to be perfect for O’Keefe to head the ball home and crush any final promotion dreams the Portchester faithful still harboured.

On the hour mark Harrison Brook made good progress down the left before cutting inside his marker but his shot went straight at the keeper.

The visitors struggled to get anything going when they went forward and Creese was only forced into making an important save for the first time in the third minute of injury time when he had to push Ryan Wilkins’ shot around the post.

The final whistle soon followed this, sparking wild celebrations from the home side and their supporters and the visitors were left to reflect on what might have been having started the evening just 90 minutes away from step four football.