Fleetlands sign ‘57th centre half’ ahead of Hampshire Premier League clash with Paulsgrove

Action from Fleetlands' Hampshire Trophy win against Paulsgrove earlier this season. Picture: Keith Woodland

Boss Rich Bessey has dual signed Fareham Town’s Tom Froggatt for the Hampshire Premier League top flight run-in.

‘That’s the 57th centre half I’ve signed,’ he quipped.

‘I didn’t really need another one, but I couldn’t turn down the chance to sign Tom when I was told he would be available.

‘It’s a striker we’re crying out for now.’

Top scorer Matt Andrews suffered a hip injury during last weekend’s 5-1 slaying of Colden Common.

He definitely misses this weekend’s clash with Paulsgrove on a 4G pitch at Bridgemary School, and could be out for up to a month.

‘That’s a killer blow for us.’ said Bessey, who managed Paulsgrove last season.

Shane Flooks will start up front after coming on against Colden Common and scoring twice.

‘Shane can excite me a lot, or he can scare me a lot!’ said Bessey. ‘Hopefully he will be exciting against Paulsgrove.

‘Shane loves a battle and their centre halves Jake Warlow and Rob White love a battle. It should be interesting.

‘The one thing you know with Paulsgrove is that they will be up for the game.’

Grove boss Wayne Grant is without top scorer Moulay Ousman, and said: ‘I’m not a big fan of 4G pitches but we need to get the games played.’

Recent HPL clashes between the two teams have produced lots of entertainment.

They drew 3-3 at Paulsgrove last August while Ousman netted twice in Grove’s 3-2 win at Fleetlands last season. Grove completed the double with a 4-3 home victory.

The previous season, 2017/18, both league matches took place in April - a month which saw Grove play 11 games en route to winning the title.

They champions-elect won 5-1 at home with a Danny Lane double and current Fleetlands captain Tommy Woodward netting.

A few weeks later Woodward grabbed two goals in a 3-0 win at Lederle Lane.

Fleetlands’ last league win was a 5-2 home success in November 2016 with braces from Jordan Whitley and Jack Morby.

But they did beat Paulsgrove 2-1 in this season’s Hampshire Trophy with Woodward netting a stunning free-kick and Jake Pepall - now at Liss - scoring the winner.

Froggatt is unavailable for this weekend’s clash.