Fareham Town use goalkeeper number EIGHT this season as Jay Morris makes first-team bow in Blackfield & Langley victory

Curt Robbins was on hand to poke home a second-half double for the Reds after Ethan Jones' long throws caused havoc for the visitors as Peter Stiles' men ran out 2-0 winners at Cams Alders.

With recent Amesbury addition Henry Woodcock facing up to a month out with a calf injury, Stiles was left to make another change in goal.

This time it was Morris – coincidental recently recruited from latest opponents Blackfield – who came in for his first-team bow having impressed for the reserves - following on from Woodcock, Jon Webb, Luke Douglas, Dan Kempson, Adam Lewingray, Dec McCarthy and outfielder Dan Bennett as the eighth different stopper utilised by the Reds since the start of the season.

And Stiles was delighted with Morris’ display in helping Fareham keep just a fifth clean sheet in 27 Wessex Premier matches this term.

‘Obviously Jay Morris made his debut in goal - our eighth goalkeeper (this season) - we signed him from Blackfield a few weeks ago,’ revealed Stiles.

‘It was his debut and, although his hip went in the first-half, I thought he did really well.

‘He's not had a long of Wessex League experience but I thought when he needed to he did good things, his distribution was good, I was pleased with him.

‘He's (Jay) played a couple of games in the reserves, but it's a big step up to come into the first-team. I think he was a bit nervous before but I thought he did well.’

Morris made a tidy stop to tip wide Sofiane Racha's effort from the edge of the area on 42 minutes, then he could only watch on as Wayne Robinson's left-foot curler struck the crossbar in stoppage-time as Blackfield slightly edged the first-half.

But after the visitors’ made a real harsh of dealing with an arrowed Ethan Jones long throw, Robbins reacted to poke the hosts ahead three minutes after the restart.

Jones' throwing ability caused havoc again, with goalkeeper Amadeusz Skrzyniarz failing to get any distance on his punch clear and Robbins scrambled home his second on 56 minutes.

Fareham stalwart striker Gary Austin, sitting on 99 club goals in what was his 352nd Reds outing, sent a header from all of six yards over having met Charlie Cooper's delicious cross after 74 minutes as the hosts went in search of a third.

Stiles added: ‘It's an unusual thing for us to keep a clean sheet! I think we did well in the end, they're not an easy side to play against, we deserved the three points. It was quite a professional performance I thought.

‘It is a lethal weapon (Ethan Jones' long throw), it's absolutely better than a corner because the way it comes in, it's difficult to defend against.’

Fareham Town: Morris; Jones, Willcox, Clark, Cooper, Settle, Mackney, Breed, Robbins, Austin, Bennett. Subs: Bartlett-Scott (Bennett, 65), Rowthorn (Settle, 76), C.Benfield (Breed, 86), J.Benfield.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Get 30 per cent off our sport subscription, which gives readers unlimited access to all our Pompey and grassroots coverage for just 9p a day, by using the promo code JanSports30. The deal expires at midnight on January 31.