Denmead keeper Chris Clark ‘the difference’ in huge victory over Fleetlands – Moneysfields score lucky late winner against rock bottom Lyndhurst

The goalkeeper has hardly played since suffering a bad knee injury in last autumn’s HPL Cup loss against Moneyfields at Dover Road.

On his return from injury, he missed a number of games through work commitments - with Ed Christmas, normally an outfielder, going in goal at Paulsgrove the previous week.

But the former Hayling United regular was back to make a series of fine saves in his side’s 2-1 success against Fleetlands at Front Lawn.

Coptermen co-boss Dan Greenwood worked with Clark at Hayling and confessed: ‘That was the best I’ve ever seen Chris play - he was the difference between the two teams.

‘He’s a tall guy and he was getting down to shots, credit where it’s due.

‘We should have won the game, we had the better chances.

‘George Gregory and Callum Dart had good chances. They should be scoring them, but Chris made some good saves.’

One of Clark’s most impressive stops came in the second half when he pushed a Jake Alford header onto a post.

Denmead went ahead through a Ryan Daunton header, with Fleetlands skipper Luke Heard levelling with a header from a set-piece right on the stroke of half-time.

Seniya Boopa grabbed the winner shortly into the second half as Denmead avenged a 2-1 loss to Fleetlands just a fortnight earlier.

‘It was a close game in an intimidating atmosphere which Fleetlands created, which we were expecting having recently played them,’ said Denmead secretary Simon Strickland.

‘The first half was tighter than the second, but it was a thoroughly deserved win.

Fleetlands travel to Locks Heath this coming Saturday before completing a three-game run against the top three by hosting title favourites Moneyfields on March 26.

Denmead, meanwhile, go to Liss next Saturday before completing their fixtures with home games against Clanfield and Stockbridge. Clark is expected to be in goal for all those games.

Liss and Clanfield are the only two clubs that Denmead have yet to beat in league action this season.

*Moneyfields Reserves received a slice of luck in their bid to win the Hampshire Premier League’s Senior Division at the first time of asking.

For the second time this season, they only defeated rock bottom Lyndhurst with a late goal.

Back in August Moneys won 3-2 in the New Forest; here, an 88th minute fluke from Rafferty Boyd-Kerr gave them a 2-1 success on the artificial surface at Petersfield School.

Boyd-Kerr ‘shanked’ a left-footed cross which ended up in the top corner as Moneys remained just a point behind table-topping Denmead with three games in hand.

‘We were well worth the win but we made hard work of it,’ stated Moneys boss Lee Mould.

‘They got an early goal and sat back, putting 11 men behind the ball. I don’t think they got out of their half in the second half but we just couldn’t score.

‘They showed a bit more pluckiness than the league table would suggest, so credit to them.

‘Defensively we were ok, midfield we ran it, we were just poor in the final third.

‘We tried to go through the middle rather than out wide, which played into their hands.

‘That was frustrating, as both our goals came from out wide.’

After falling behind to a Lyndurst side who have only won once all season in the league, Moneys levelled before half-time when Finn Gibbs converted a Boyd-Kerr cross.’

Moneys now host Locks Heath at Fareham Town’s Cams Alders in the semi-final of the HPL Cup on Wednesday.

Mould admits his squad is ‘threadbare’ heading into a tie with a Locks side who ‘deservedly’ inflicted a first ever HPL loss on Moneys last September.

Shane Cornish - still waiting to make his Moneys debut two months after signing from Paulsgrove - is cup tied while Kieran Dowell missed the Lyndhurst game through Covid.

Luke Richards and Robbie Davis are injured, while Mould could lose some regulars to the first team who are playing a Wessex League game at Alton on Tuesday.

Mould watched Locks in action against Moneys’ first team last midweek in a Portsmouth Senior Cup semi-final.

Though Locks didn’t create many clear openings, he thought the 4-0 final scoreline was ‘a bit generous’ to Moneys. ‘Locks put up a decent showing, we’ve got our work cut out on Wednesday, make no mistake.’