Fleetlands twice come from behind to win seven-goal thriller against Locks Heath

The Coptermen trailed 2-0 and 3-2 before running out 4-3 winners against a Locks side much changed from the one that was handed a lucky escape from Senior Division relegation last term.

Locks looked the better side for much of the first half - and they scored the best two goals of the game by some distance - but Fleetlands ended the stronger after boss Rich Bessey had brought fresh attackers off the bench.

It was already plain to see, though, that Dave Fuge - the man who guided Locks to the HPL title in 2012/13 - has built a squad that should easily avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles when they won only three out of 24 league games.

Locks were bottom of the table when life went into lockdown, with the FA subsequently null and voiding the season to spare them playing in Division 1 this term.

There were only three players in the Locks starting XI who were at the club last season - Lawrence Wall, Ryan Nowacki and Ryan Bath.

And it was one of the summer recruits, Simon Stone, who hammered them into a 14th minute lead at Lederle Lane.

The left-back stepped up and fired an unstoppable 25-yard free-kick past Fleetlands debutant Matt Shortt on 14 minutes.

It was 2-0 seven minutes later when Jordan Whiteley - one of five ex-Fleetlands players in the Locks starting XI (alongside Brad Stone, Shane Kent, Connor Johnson and Wall) - scored from close range after centre half Kent had nodded a corner back across the six-yard box.

Against the run of play, Fleetlands were back in it on the half-hour mark when Jamie Wrapson crossed from the right and the unmarked Tommy Woodward netted at the back post.

Bessey was then forced into a change when towering centre half Jim Duffin hobbled off with an injury to be replaced by Aiden Smallbones.

The hosts were level just before half-time when striker Kelvin Robinson - making his competitive debut for the Coptermen after scoring over 20 goals for Fareham Town Reserves in 2019/20 - headed in a Woodward corner at the near post.

Bessey brought on striker Shane Flooks at the interval for midfielder Jack North to add some extra physical presence into his side.

But it was Locks who were back in the lead on 58 minutes when Ben Chambers, advancing from midfield, fired a superb 25-yard shot that flew over Shortt into the net.

Like Stone's, it was a strike worthy of winning the game - but Fleetlands had other ideas.

Bath shot just wide before Bessey introduced a second striker, Steve Duffin, on 66 minutes. He had an immediate impact, involved in the build-up play which ended with Fleetlands winning a penalty for a foul on Flooks.

Perry Easton - who played under Fuge at US Portsmouth - whacked his spot-kick straight down the middle, keeper Joe Hunt getting a hand to it but unable to keep it out.

With four strikers on the pitch now - Robinson, Flooks, Wrapson and Duffin - Fleetlands enjoyed their best period of the game.

It was Hunt - another ex-USP player - was guilty of the error which presented the hosts with their winning goal on 81 minutes.

Under little pressure, but in fading light, he couldn’t hold a Woodward free-kick from out on the left touchline and Robinson netted from close range.

It completed the second fine Fleetlands comeback in four days - they had come from 0-2 and 1-3 down to draw their final friendly 4-4 against Whiteley Wanderers last Saturday.

They will need to tighten up at the back, though, when they travel to Bush Hill this weekend - Bush having hammered Chamberlayne 12-0 in their opening Senior Division game tonight!

Starting XIs

Fleetlands: Shortt, J Duffin, Warlow, Carter, Heard, Easton, Martin, North, Robinson, Woodward, Wrapson.

Locks Heath: Hunt, Nowacki, S Stone, Kent, Dunkley, B Stone, Chambers, Wall, Bath, Whiteley, Johnson.