Hawks teenager Liam Hyett set to become Fleetlands’ fourth goalkeeper of the Hampshire Premier League season

Havant & Waterlooville Academy keeper Liam Hyett will become Fleetlands’ fourth goalkeeper of the season when he makes his debut next month.
By Simon Carter
Published 28th Sep 2021, 10:12 BST
Fleetlands keeper Matt Shortt, left, has been ruled out of the 2021/22 season through injuryFleetlands keeper Matt Shortt, left, has been ruled out of the 2021/22 season through injury
Fleetlands keeper Matt Shortt, left, has been ruled out of the 2021/22 season through injury

The Coptermen have signed the teenager on Hampshire Premier League forms after he was recommended by former Gosport Borough keeper Tony Stares, who is involved with the Hawks’ Academy.

Fleetlands boss Rich Bessey had sent out a social media SOS for a keeper after Dan Binks had broken his thumb playing in a Sunday League game.

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Derek Harding and Harry Page have also played in goal for the club this term after last season’s first choice No 1 Matt Shortt was ruled out for the whole of 2021/22 through injury.

‘Matt was a big loss for us,’ said Bessey. ‘He was probably the best keeper in the league last season. He was such a good bloke in the dressing room as well, but he still comes along, he still does the fines. He has a lot to offer - I’m sure he will be a manager one day.’

Page was back in goal for the weekend 5-2 win at Overton - the club’s seventh successive HPL Senior Division success that kept them third in the table. In six of those games, they have scored four or more goals.

Kelvin Robinson took his seasonal tally to 17 with a hat-trick at Overton, with Glyn Cooper and an own goal completing the latest win.

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‘It was our worst performance of the season,’ said Bessey. ‘It was awful. Kelvin was pretty poor to be honest, but a good goalscorer scores goals.

‘The fact we played really poorly but still won gives me confidence.’

Fleetlands are inactive this weekend, so Hyett will make his debut in a HPL Cup tie at Meon Milton on October 9.

Bessey has allowed teenage centre half Ben Cooper to join Wessex League Division 1 strugglers Petersfield Town on a two-week loan.

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Cooper could make his debut against Millbrook this weekend. If so, he could be tasked with trying to keep striker Mark Barker quiet.

Barker was a prolific scorer in the HPL for Bush Hill and already has 11 goals in eight appearances at a higher level this term - including five in last Saturday’s 5-2 victory against former table-toppers Newport IoW.