Fleetlands boss Claridge set for intriguing FA Vase trip to Petersfield Town

There’s an intriguing first qualifying round tie at Love Lane where Petersfield Town host Steve Claridge’s Fleetlands.

The Rams produced a superb cup win in midweek, beating higher tier Bemerton 3-2 away in an FA Cup preliminary qualifying round replay.

Now they welcome Fleetlands, who also secured a midweek cup success - beating fellow Wessex Division 1 club Totton & Eling 2-0 in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Cameron Stone gave the Coptermen a half-time lead at Powder Monkey Park, with Dale Mason netting from a corner late on.

Claridge is competing in the Vase as a manager for only the second season. In his first, in 2015/16, his Salisbury side were beaten 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-final by fellow phoenix club Hereford.

The winners of the Petersfield v Fleetlands tie have been drawn away to Moneyfields or Christchurch in the second qualifying round on September 23.

And that could mean a tie against their former club for Rams pair Callum Glen and Dec Seiden.

Both those players were instrumental figures in US Portsmouth’s memorable run to the Vase semi-finals as a step 6 club in 2020/21.

A handful of Glen and Seiden’s team-mates from three seasons ago are now at Moneyfields.

Rams boss Connor Hoare is also a former Moneyfields regular from the club’s Southern League days.

Moneys have started the season well, having won four cup ties already as well as two out of three league fixtures.

They have dumped two higher tier clubs - Southern League Division 1 South pair Westbury and Hamworthy - out of the FA Cup.

They have also beaten Andover New Street and Cove in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Christchurch, in contrast, have lost all three Wessex Premier games so far, failing to score in the process, and they also lost 1-0 at home to US Portsmouth in the FA Cup.

The Vase draw has not been kind to US Portsmouth, who have a near 180-mile round trip to take on Wessex Premier rivals Portland United.

Should US win that one, they face a 146-mile round trip in the second qualifying round - to Somerset club Wincanton.

Fareham Town are in the same boat. If they can win at Gillingham Town in north Dorset, they will travel again in the next round - to face Wessex Premier rivals Lymington.

AFC Portchester have been drawn at home to Wessex top flight rivals Cowes Sports, with the winners off to either Alton or Newport IoW in the next round.

Baffins Milton Rovers are the only PO postcode club to have been given a bye through to the second qualifying round.

Danny Thompson’s men - currently top of the embryonic Wessex Premier table - will travel to either Hythe & Dibden or Romsey Town.