Fareham aiming to set up ‘El Creekio’ Wessex League Cup semi-final against AFC Portchester

Gary Austin, left, took his seasonal tally to 10 with a brace in Fareham's 8-0 league win at Amesbury.
Picture: Allan Hutchings — Gary Austin, left, took his seasonal tally to 10 with a brace in Fareham's 8-0 league win at Amesbury. Picture: Allan Hutchings

The Reds host Wessex Division 1 outfit Downton on Tuesday knowing a win will see them meet the Royals in the competition's semi-final stage.

If they were to progress, Fareham would make it four 'El Creekio' derby battles over the course of the campaign. The teams faced off in the Hampshire Senior Cup last week - Portchester winning 2-0 - as well as their Wessex Premier meetings.

Stiles is hoping his side can move a step closer to claiming some silverware this season.

He said: 'The winners will play AFC Portchester so there’s an incentive for us.

‘They’re a division below (Downton), I don’t know an awful lot about them, I’ll be making some phone calls asking some questions.

Stiles should have Curt Robbins and Ash Tattersall back after the pair missed the thumping 8-0 Wessex Premier win at struggling Amesbury at the weekend.

Downton are eighth in Wessex 1, taking their unbeaten league run to five games with a 6-2 romp at lowly Fleet Spurs on Saturday.

Top scorer Sam Howe took his seasonal tally to 14 with a double in north Hampshire.

To get this far, Downton defeated Fareham’s Premier Division rivals Bournemouth Poppies 5-4 - Tom Moseley hitting a hat-trick - and divisional rivals Andover New Street 1-0.

Fareham, meanwhile, have beaten the top flight’s top two teams in the cup so far - Horndean (3-0) and Brockenhurst (on penalties after a 2-2 draw).

Fareham will reach the 100-goal milestone for the season on Tuesday if they score four times. So far, Horndean and Shaftesbury have netted three figures in league and cup action.

But while those two clubs have players with 20-plus goals to their name, the Reds have just two in double figures - 11-goal Charlie Cooper, currently injured, and 10-goal Gary Austin who netted twice after coming off the bench at Amesbury.

In the other Wessex League Cup semi-final, Shaftesbury will play lower tier Folland after their 4-2 penalty shoot-out win against Moneyfields at the weekend which followed a remarkable 5-5 draw in the north Dorset mist.