‘He’s a big, big, big player for us’ – Chad Field nets twice as five star Horndean claim great FA Vase win at Bournemouth Poppies

Defender Chad Field struck twice on only his second appearance of the season as Horndean claimed a superb FA Vase win.

The Deans travelled to a Bournemouth Poppies side who had won their last four Wessex Premier games and dished out a 5-2 beating.

It was 3-0 at the interval with Field notching a double after Zak Willett had opened the scoring.

He first headed in a Tommy Tierney cross after Poppies had failed to clear a corner, before diving to head in a Rob Taw free-kick.

Connor Duffin (penalty) and Harry Jackson added second half goals as Horndean reached the first round proper.

Field underwent a summer knee op and had been due to make his first appearance of 2022/23 against Baffins in the FA Cup last month.

But he rolled his ankle in training and it was not until last Tuesday that he was fit enough to play, in the Hampshire Senior Cup loss at Bashley.

‘Chad is a big, big, big player for us,’ said Deans boss Michael Birmingham.

‘He played for Bognor Regis in both legs of an FA Trophy semi-final against Grimsby Town (in 2016). People remember US Portsmouth reaching the semi-finals of the Vase, but Bognor got to the semi-finals of a far superior competition.

‘Chad is a hell of a player, the way he attacks the ball in both boxes.’

Birmingham had Poppies watched twice in the build-up to the tie - in league wins against Fareham (5-0) and Blackfield (3-1).

‘Poppies are a totally different side to the last few years,’ he remarked. ‘It would have been totally disrespectful to them not to do our homework.

‘We had to work extremely hard to get our rewards. It was a tough game, and it will be tough again next week.’

That’s a reference to the fact Horndean are back at Victoria Park next weekend to face Poppies in a league game.

Horndean have no match in midweek, while Poppies host Shaftesbury in the league on Tuesday - another game Birmingham will have watched.

‘I’m sure Poppies will change their personnel (next Saturday),’ he stated. ‘They had Connor Jevons on the bench yesterday, I’m sure he’ll start in the league.’

Regarding the FA Vase, meanwhile, Horndean have never made it past the third round stage.

Birmingham said: ‘We’d like to have a run, but it depends on many things - the luck of the draw, the players you have available at the time.

‘You might have a big league game the week before (a Vase tie) and one of your players is on the verge of a suspension. What do you do? There’s a lot to think about.’