Former Portchester keeper to make Fareham Town debut in Wessex League Cup tie with Horndean

Regular No 1 Dan Kempson suffered a shoulder injury during last weekend’s 4-3 home league win over Bournemouth Poppies, and was replaced by midfielder Dan Bennett at half-time.

Jon Webb, who is registered with Hampshire Premier Leaguers Colden Common, has been drafted in to face Horndean in a second round tie at Cams Alders.

Both sides are planning to field a mixture of youngsters and fringe first teamers, with Southampton University student Kamil Adedrian also set for a first Fareham 1st XI appearance.

Reds boss Pete Stiles is unlikely to risk many senior players given next weekend’s big FA Vase tie at home to Jersey Bulls.

Horndean boss Michael Birmingham fielded young guns Lewis Mees, Evan Harris and Zak Brownlie in the previous round’s 5-0 caning of Newport IoW, while Brandon McKinnon, McKenzie Morgan and Lawrence Cooper came off the bench. Fringe first teamers George Burgess, Jean-Pierre Alexander, Sam Emeney and Chad Field also started.

The winners will be at home again in round three, to Wessex Premier leaders Brockenhurst, with the winners home once more in the quarter-finals to lower tier Downton.

AFC Portchester host Infinity for the second time in cup combat this season.

After thrashing the Wessex Division1 side 6-0 in the Hampshire Senior Cup, they welcome Wayne Grant’s men again in the first round of the Russell Cotes Cup.

The Royals team will be taken by U23s bosses Joe Noakes and Lloyd Kelly and will feature most of that team, plus a handful of fringe first teamers who need minutes.

Youngsters Finn Bello and Harvey Aston started last week’s Wessex Cup win at Hamble and can expect to feature again, as can Brandon Chebby and Joe Merrett who came off the bench last Tuesday.

Moneyfields boss Glenn Turnbull has to make changes for his side’s Wessex Premier League trip to rock bottom Hythe & Dibden.

Goalkeeper Tom Price is unavailable so either Sam Richards or Callum McGeorge will get a call up while centre half Tom Cain is away working.

Skipper Steve Hutchings, the side’s 10-goal top scorer, is a doubt after coming off against Hamworthy at the weekend with an ankle injury. Defender Harry Birmingham (groin) also went off injured in the 2-1 home defeat.

Adam Cripps is available again while there could be a first team debut for former Pompey youngster Ellis Martin.

The centre half has only played one game since the end of the 2019/20 season, for Moneys reserves against Clanfield in the Hampshire Premier League earlier this month.