‘It’s just another game’ – Horndean boss Birmingham playing down importance of  mouthwatering Wessex League clash with promotion rivals Stoneham

The Deans would move to within three points of leaders AFC Portchester if they can leapfrog Stoneham into second place with a victory at Five Heads Park.

A Purples success, though, would see them move to within a point of the table-topping Royals, albeit having played two games more.

Both teams are protecting enviable records.

Horndean have only dropped two points in 10 home league matches this season, with Portchester the only team to score more than one goal there (in a 2-2 draw).

That is one of only three occasions in 24 Wessex fixtures this term that Deans keeper Cameron Scott has conceded more than once.

For their part, Stoneham are on a stunning run of 11 wins and a draw since their last loss, 3-2 at Portchester on December 3.

Since then, they have beaten leaders Portchester, fourth-placed Bemerton and fifth-placed Moneyfields, the latter 3-1 at Westleigh Park last Friday.

Now Stoneham aim to add third-placed Horndean to their list of impressive scalps and further boost their title challenge.

Birmingham, who was at Westleigh Park last Friday watching Stoneham beat Moneys, said: ‘It’s just another game, that’s all it is.

‘If Stoneham beat Horndean, they only get three points. If Horndean beat Stoneham, we only get three points. That’s the same points we got from winning at Cowes on Saturday.

‘It should be a good game. They’re a good side, we’re a good side. They’ve got a good young manager, an unbelievable set-up, and good backroom staff.

‘Ever since they’ve come up (in 2018) they’ve been around the top four.’Both sides also possess a 33-goal striker - Zack Willett (Horndean) and Duarte Martins (Stoneham).

Willett’s fourth successive hat-trick against Cowes at the weekend took his seasonal league tally to 30.

Martins, who has scored in each of Stoneham’s last five Wessex wins, is the division’s third highest league scorer with 18.

Willett was taken off shortly before the hour mark at Cowes to ensure he’s as fresh as he can be to face Stoneham.

Tuesday’s game will be the two clubs’ first meeting since late January 2022 when Willett hit another treble in Horndean’s 3-1 success.

That was the last time Stoneham lost at home in the league, drawing the following game with Alresford and then rattling off 19 successive victories.

Horndean are due to return to Stoneham Lane on March 25, the start of three potentially huge games on three consecutive weekends.

The following Saturday Deans welcome Bemerton to Five Heads before Birmingham takes his side to Portchester on April 8.