Fleetlands win 9-0 away in former Portsmouth striker Steve Claridge’s first  Wessex League game as manager

The Coptermen lifted the curtain on their Division 1 campaign with a stunning 9-0 romp at last season’s beaten play-off finalists New Milton.

There were braces for new signings Alfie Lis and Brandon Jewell as well as Harry Shaw.

Kai Sterne, Jamie Wrapson and Callum Archer were also on target in what was certainly the most eyebrow-raising result on the opening day of the sixth tier season.

It wasn’t Fleetlands’ record Wessex League win, though. Indeed, it wasn’t their record away win either - they had won 9-0 at Ludgershall Sports in 2004/05!

Fleetlands chairman Iain Sellstrom made a statement of intent when he appointed the vastly-experienced Claridge as manager during the close season.

He knows the former Pompey striker’s appearance in the dug-out will bring increased expectations. And it will also give Fleetlands a target on their backs.

‘Absolutely,’ said Sellstrom. ‘People will start to look at us as a threat. We expect that, I’m quite happy with it to be honest.”

Claridge has so far gone the evolution rather than revolution route.

Apart from Lis and Jewell, most of the squad on duty at New Milton helped the club finish a respectable eighth last season.

Callum Dart and Jack Farrier have moved onto Petersfield, while ex-Moneyfields striker George Gregory has retired.

“Steve came to watch a few games last season,” said Sellstrom. “He said the squad didn’t need a major overhaul. He wanted to work with what he had.

“You’re always looking to improve, but I think Mr Claridge is happy with what he’s got!

“He’s got to learn the nuances of this level. You’re not going to get players asking for £500 a week like he might have been used to.

“To get players to come from the level he’s been at to our level is almost impossible.

“He’s got to learn about this level, the same as our players have to learn about the higher levels of professionalism he will expect.

“You can see the difference already. We looked sharper in pre-season, more on the ball, more together.

“If we’d gone a few goals up before we might have taken our foot off the gas. But Steve won’t allow that - from the first minute to the last at New Milton we did a professional job.

“We hit the bar, we hit the post, it could have been a cricket score.”

Lis was sweet-talked into joining Fleetlands following a chat with Sellstrom, who he knows from his time as Gosport Borough chairman.

The player left Privett Park in the summer of 2018 to sign for Horndean, scoring 19 times in 33 starts.

He moved onto Bognor in the summer of 2020 but a pandemic-wrecked campaign saw him return to Horndean.

“Alfie’s a fantastic footballer,” said Sellstrom. “He’d fallen out of love with football.

“I had a beer with him and a chat and hopefully he’s starting to love playing again. And hopefully we can keep hold of him.”

Jewell put Fleetlands ahead at New Milton after only two minutes, and it was 5-0 at the interval.

Coptermen keeper Ollie Carroll played his part, saving a first-half penalty.

The visitors were awarded two spot-kicks after the restart, with Jewell converting the first one and sub Wrapson the second in the last 10 minutes.

Fleetlands’ first home game of the new league campaign is against Alresford next Saturday.

The Magpies are under new management, with Connor Doswell, Nathan Morgan and Jamie Nash having joined from Colden Common.

The trio led Common to a treble last season, including retaining the Hampshire Premier League title.

A lot of the Common players have followed the management team over, and they also made a winning Wessex 1 start with a 4-0 triumph at Verwood.

Leon Course, who belted 41 league and cup goals for Common last term, netted twice.