Fareham produce remarkable formbook-shredding success at Wessex League Premier leaders Horndean

The Reds travelled to face Wessex League Premier Division leaders Horndean having only picked up one point from their previous five matches.

They had conceded 17 goals during that time, and had also shipped five in an FA Vase loss to Abbey Rangers the previous weekend.

Up against a Deans side who are the top scorers across the entire 14 divisions of step 5 football in England, Fareham could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.

But, astonishingly, they scored twice inside the opening six minutes and went on to inflict a stunning 5-1 loss on Michael Birmingham’s table-toppers.

It was only the fifth league defeat Deans had suffered in 35 Premier games, stretching back to February 2020.

And it was only the fourth time - and the first at Five Heads Park - that they had conceded five in a league fixture since Birmingham took charge in the summer of 2016.

Back in late October 2019, Fareham dished out a remarkable 7-1 spanking to Premier leaders Alresford at Cams Alders. In some ways, their victory over Horndean was an even greater result.

This time, the Reds lined up without their three leading scorers this season. Charlie Cooper (injured) and Calum Benfield (unavailable) were absent and Curt Robbins was on the bench. In addition, six-goal Josh Benfield wasn’t in the squad either and five-goal Simon Woods - who started the previous Tuesday’s 5-1 home loss to Brockenhurst - has joined US Portsmouth in a bid to get more minutes.

Indeed, there were eight changes to the Fareham starting XI at Five Heads Park from the one that lost to Brock. There was also a new face taking charge in the dugout - assistant boss Matt Powell deputising for manager Pete Stiles, who was ill.

It was a new-look Creeksiders outfit, with Dec McCarthy the SIXTH keeper used by the Reds this season making his first appearance for the club since 2019/20.

Skipper Garry Moody was back in central defence after missing the Brock loss due to a dead leg, while Tom Settle was handed his first appearance since a pre-season injury against Folland.

Ethan Jones started at left back after Ash Tattersall, like Cooper, had come off injured in the first half against Brock.

Wide midfielder Elliott Holmes was handed his debut with Jack Breed back in central midfield after missing the Brock loss.

Breed had netted twice in the 5-3 Vase exit to Abbey Rangers, and he was to grab another brace as Fareham recorded the most surprising result of the current Wessex League campaign.

Moody, Gary Austin and sub Stuart Morgan - like Holmes, a recent signing from the Armed Forces - completed the nap hand.

Zack Willett had fired Deans back into contention, at 2-1, on the stroke of half-time with his club’s 100th competitive goal of the season - a phenomenal achievement but one lost amid the flurry of excitement at the other end of the pitch.

‘We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we had a game plan,’ said Powell.

‘We knew they would have a lot of possession, and we let them have it.

‘They were going backwards and sideways and our plan was to try and win the ball high up the pitch - and we did that.

‘It was nice to have Tom Settle back in central midfield and that allowed Ben Rowthorn to play a bit higher.’

It was Powell’s fourth game in charge in his third season as Stiles’ assistant, having previously managed the Reds’ reserves for a season.

His CV boasts a 100 per cent record, following on from previous league wins against Lymington, Tadley and Amesbury in Stiles’ absence.

He would be happy, though, not to ever have a fifth game in charge.

‘I hate managing,’ said Powell. ‘I don’t like it at all, I much prefer coaching.

‘I don’t enjoy it. Rather than celebrating the goals, I was thinking about which players to take off to save them for Tuesday!

‘I’m glad Pete will be back.’

While Stiles could savour a shock win from his sickbed, it was a miserable return to the dugout for Birmingham, having missed the previous two league wins through a spell self-isolating.

‘Pathetic’ was his single-word summary of his side’s heaviest league defeat since a 5-0 hammering at Bashley in January 2018.

‘I’m not going to protect my players this time - they got everything they deserved,’ Birmingham remarked.

‘One team wanted to win more than the other - we waved the white flag so quickly.

‘Their first two goals were so poor from us and we’ve given ourselves a mountain to climb. Our front four were so poor we never looked like getting back in it.

‘I don’t know if they had started to believe the hype about winning the league, but that’s an absolute joke - if we play like that we won’t win another game all season.

‘I’d say it’s the worst I’ve seen us play in four or five years.

‘I said in the paper beforehand, we had to be wary of Fareham. They’re a good side, they’ve just had a blip.

‘There’s some good sides in the top 10 and if you’re not on top of your game, you will get turned over.’

Horndean’s two main title rivals both failed to take full advantage of their thrashing - Brockenhurst and Hamworthy United both only drawing.

Brock narrowed the gap to two points with a 1-1 draw with AFC Stoneham, only levelling in time added on through Alex Haynes.

The Hammers are now six points adrift - with three games in hand - after a goalless stalemate with a Blackfield side who had shipped four goals at Baffins three days earlier.

Hamworthy will be just three points behind if they beat visiting Alresford on Tuesday.

The Deans are due to Hamworthy at Five Heads Park on January 22, with no date yet set for the return fixture in Dorset.