Prolonged Fareham Town drought boss Pete Stiles is finally looking to put to an end this season

The Reds remain in both Portsmouth Senior Cup and Wessex League Cup competitions as they aim to secure the club's first trophy since winning the Hampshire Senior Cup way back in 1993 – some 29 years ago.

Stiles is also keen for his men to start marching up the table and finish a lot higher than the 12th position they currently find themselves in – but a big aim for the Reds' manager is to go all the way in one of the two cups they remain in.

After Saturday's league trip to face Bournemouth, Fareham host Hampshire Premier League Locks Heath in the Portsmouth Senior Cup quarter-final on Tuesday, while they will come up against arch-rivals AFC Portchester in a fourth 'El Creekio' derby of the season when they battle it out in a League Cup semi-final at Cams Alders in March.

And Stiles is determined to take his troops all the way in at least one cup competition this term. He said: ‘The Wessex Cup (semi-final) is against AFC Portchester at our place, obviously the incentive is to beat them and stop them playing in a cup final at their own ground, then for us to go and win it at their ground.

‘We’ve got the quarter-finals of the other cup (Portsmouth Senior Cup), which is against Locks Heath, we’ve got to fancy ourselves in that if we do get things right.

‘We want to try to get a cup this year - I’ve said all along it’s about time Fareham won a cup - apparently the last one was in the 1990s (trophy win)!’

Fareham's form has been somewhat indifferent throughout the campaign, but they have certainly provided plenty of entertainment for those who've watched them this season.

The Reds are the second-highest Wessex Premier scorers so far (73), yet only the bottom seven teams have conceded more goals than them (55).

And Stiles wants to see his team become a lot more solid defensively between now and the end of the season. He added: ‘It’s alright scoring loads - I know it’s entertaining and we’re getting big crowds - but I want to stop conceding. If we are going to get beat, let’s put up a bit more of a fight and not give up the ghost.

‘It seems like we either hammer someone or get hammered - if we can’t win, draw - we’re either win or lose.

‘We need a bit more fight, bit more professionalism and try to be harder to beat.’