Fareham boss has to ring changes in bid to rediscover winning form at Stoneham

Tom Settle, right, was injured in Fareham's midweek derby loss to AFC Portchester

Stoneham are currently in their first ever season of Wessex Premier football after a four-season stay in Division 1 ended with last term’s title win.

Showing the ambitions of the club, they are next month due to move to a new £9m stadium.

Fareham manager Pete Stiles admits he has a few players missing as his side attempt to bounce back from Tuesday’s El Creekio home loss.

'We are a bit short for a number of reasons,' said Stiles.

'I will have to reshuffle but it will be a good test of the depth of the squad.

'We were shocking in the first half against Portchester but improved after the break.

'Though we didn't deserve to win, I felt we deserved to get something out of the game in the end.

'If we seriously want to be up there challenging at the top, we have to look to win at Stoneham.'

Tom Settle is ruled out by injury - the right wing-back came off early on against Portchester to be replaced by Charlie Cooper - and Ash Tattersall, Josh Benfield and Lewis Stockford are all unavailable.

Benfield is Fareham’s top scorer - with 10 in nine league and cup appearances - while Tattersall was in the middle of a three-man central defensive unit against Portchester with Tom Froggatt and Garry Moody either side of him.

Stockford was introduced as a half-time sub on Tuesday, and grabbed Fareham’s consolation in a 3-1 defeat to end a run of six successive wins in all competitions.

Remarkably, this weekend’s game will only be Stoneham’s second at home in their last 11 league and cup outings.

They have made a good start to Premier life, and possess goal threats in the shape of Scott Hills (9 in 16 games), Spanish winger Eduardo Jiminez (8 in 14) and Callum Laycock (7 in 12 games).