Ones to watch: Focus is on three Hartpury players ahead of their winner-takes-all clash with USW

by Bryn Goodall & Editor

HARTPURY and University of South Wales meet this evening in the BUCS football Championship final. 

USW finished the campaign as BUCS Football Premier South league leaders, with Hartpury in second place.

Ahead of the winner-takes-all clash, the spotlight is on three key players who have made significant contributions to Hartpury’s season.

Harvey Rivers. Goalkeeper (23)

Harvey Rivers is Hartpury’s first choice goalkeeper. He is an experienced stopper with a decent footballing CV. Rivers is one of the players available to manager Chris Knowles who plays for Gloucester City in the National League South, the sixth tier of the English football pyramid.

Rivers plays for Truro City, also in the National League South. He signed for them last year, stepping up two levels from Evesham United.  He told Gloucestershire Live at the time that he knew the step up would be significant.

“It’s going to be tougher and players will be faster, stronger, with more quality. I played a few games at that level for Gloucester City when I was 19 and felt I did well back then. I’m a lot more experienced now so that will help.”

Rivers has previously been on the books of Cheltenham Town, Swindon Supermarine and Hereford FC.

He is the most experienced in the Hartpury squad and a great shot stopper with good distribution.

Rivers will be looking to use his experience to organise the Hartpury defence from the back and perhaps play a pivotal role in Hartpury’s counter attacks and play from the back.

 

Kyle Finn. Winger (20)

Kyle Finn is a 20-year-old winger who currently plays for Hereford FC in the National League North, alongside his studies and football at Hartpury. Hereford’s manager Marc Richards was previously in charge of Hartpury’s 1^st XI.

Finn joined the Bulls in October 2018 on loan from Sky Bet League One side Coventry City. The creative midfielder made his debut for the first team at the start of the 2017/18 campaign. He featured in the first round of the EFL Cup in a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

Known for his impressive work rate and attitude, Finn is the type of player who can decide a game on his own. And, he is not averse to producing some absolute screamers of goals, including the one below for Tamworth FC against Lowestoft Town.

 

Karnell Chambers. Attacking midfielder (21)

Karnell Chambers plays for Chippenham Town FC in the National League South and is an attacking midfielder.

Chambers played a huge role in Hartpury’s success in the BUCS Football Championship last year. The 21-year-old scored both goals as Hartpury beat Loughborough away from home 1-2 in the semi-finals. He also scored a goal in the final last year but it wasn’t enough as Cardiff Metropolitan University came out on top 3-2.

Having shown his goal scoring abilities in last season’s cup campaign, Chambers will definitely fancy his chances this time around.

University of South Wales take on Hartpury University at Basford United’s Greenwich Avenue in the BUCS Championship final today. Kick-off is at 19:45.