Fleetlands boss targets successful cup campaign in bid to keep his squad together

Fleetlands boss Rich Bessey is hoping a good L4 Teamwear Challenge Cup campaign can help keep his squad together.
A late penalty from Perry Easton, right, gave Fleetlands a late HPL win at Locks Heath last November - the two sides meet again in a supplementary cup tournament this weekend. Picture: Chris MoorhouseA late penalty from Perry Easton, right, gave Fleetlands a late HPL win at Locks Heath last November - the two sides meet again in a supplementary cup tournament this weekend. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
A late penalty from Perry Easton, right, gave Fleetlands a late HPL win at Locks Heath last November - the two sides meet again in a supplementary cup tournament this weekend. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

The Coptermen find themselves in the ‘group of death’ alongside Locks Heath, Hayling United and Moneyfields Reserves.

The standard should be high - Locks were lying second in the Hampshire Premier League Senior Division when 2020/21 was curtailed by the pandemic, with Fleetlands fifth and Hayling sixth.

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Moneyfields, meanwhile, were top of Division 1 boasting an undefeated record.

‘I want to keep this squad together,’ said Bessey.

‘It’s unity I’m after - we’ve got a good squad and there’s a danger some will have their ears bent by other clubs.

‘I want to win this cup, but before I bang that drum we need to get out of a tough group.

‘It’s going to be really hard. Locks Heath are hard to beat, Hayling are a hungry, fit side and Moneyfields haven’t lost (a league game) in two years.’

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Fleetlands start their campaign at home to Locks on Saturday aiming for a third win over them in 2020/21, though they will be without suspended pair Tommy Woodward and Wayne Boud.

The Coptermen lifted the curtain on the season by coming from 0-2 down to win 4-3 last September at Lederle Lane, and a late penalty from Perry Easton gave them a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture just before the November lockdown.

Fleetlands, who only lost one of their 13 Senior games before curtailment, remain hopeful of being offered promotion to the Wessex League as part of any FA restructuring.

There could be three spaces available in next season’s Wessex 1 - four clubs could go up, only two could come down, and Pewsey Vale still haven’t been replaced after withdrawing in December 2019.

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Fleetlands, Infinity, Bush Hill and Stockbridge have all applied for promotion from the HPL Senior, while Hamworthy Recreation are keen to move up from the Dorset League.

Should Fleetlands be offered promotion, it would release £50,000 worth of funding from the Football Foundation towards ground redevelopments.

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