‘It’s been a learning curve, a baptism of fire’ – Fleetlands already exposed to harsh realities of life in the Wessex League

Fleetlands have already been exposed to the harsh realities of life at a higher level of the non-league pyramid.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Coptermen only conceded seven goals in their final nine fixtures en route to finishing third in last season’s Hampshire Premier League.

On being rewarded with promotion to Wessex 1, they have started 2022/23 by conceding eight times in two games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A 4-0 loss at last season’s runners-up Andover New Street was followed by a 4-3 defeat at Ash last weekend.

Callum Dart, right, was sent off as Fleetlands lost 4-3 at Ash last weekend.
Picture: Chris MoorhouseCallum Dart, right, was sent off as Fleetlands lost 4-3 at Ash last weekend.
Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Callum Dart, right, was sent off as Fleetlands lost 4-3 at Ash last weekend. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

Fleetlands trailed 4-0 at Ash before netting three times in the final 15 minutes through Kai Sterne, Jamie Wrapson and Cameron Stone.

Sterne then went through one on one with the home keeper in the dying seconds, only to fail to complete a stunning recovery act.

‘It’s already clear that if you make a mistake it’s punished, and we have to take our chances,’ said boss Dan Greenwood.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘If you made those mistakes in the Hampshire League you could get away from them.

Read More
‘Rough diamond’ Logan Vickers nets hat-trick as Harvest make stunning Hampshire ...

‘It’s been a learning curve, a baptism of fire. There’s lots of work on but lots of positives. It’s a relatively new group and we’re still gelling.’

‘You could see why Andover finished second last season, but we created just as much as them.

‘Of the eight goals we’ve conceded, we’ve gifted teams five of them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘The biggest positive is we’re creating chances. With our togetherness, our workrate and desire, we would have been good value for a point at Ash, if not all three. And I don’t think they could have argued with that.’

Fleetlands host their first Wessex home game since 2006/07 this Saturday against Totton & Eling.

The Eels finished last season bottom of the table, winning just two of their 36 fixtures. But they lifted the curtain on 2022/23 with a 3-1 win at Romsey, former Baffins Milton Rovers youngster Owen Pelham in their starting XI.

Fleetlands are without suspended pair Sterne and Callum Dart. Sterne is serving a suspension imposed for an offence last season, while Dart was sent off following an altercation with a member of the Ash management team.