Lower division clubs stand between Fareham Town and two cup finals this season

They are through to the last four of both the Wessex League Cup and the Portsmouth Senior Cup.

First up is a home tie with lower tier Petersfield in the WLC at Cams Alders on Tuesday.

The Division 1 Rams will be without cup tied trio Charlie Merritt, Ollie Davies and Joe Steele, who played for Horndean, Brockenhurst and Alresford respectively in previous rounds.

Co-boss Pat Suraci is looking forward to the tie, with the winners set to face Baffins Milton Rovers at AFC Portchester in early May.

‘We’re the underdogs, we’ve got nothing to lose,’ said Suraci. ‘It should be a good game, we think we’ve got a fair shot.

‘But the challenge will be a difficult one - Fareham are a decent Wessex Premier side.’

Fareham’s form in 2023 has been inconsistent at best. They’ve beaten title chasing Horndean and drawn with leaders Portchester, but have also lost to Bournemouth Poppies and at home to Portland last weekend.

Petersfield were left inactive last Saturday as their scheduled league trip to Totton & Eling was postponed due to wet weather.

Fareham are aiming to reach the League Cup final for the second season running, after losing 2-1 to Shaftesbury last year.

Graham Rix’s men also face another Wessex 1 outfit, Fleetlands, in the semi-finals of the Portsmouth Senior Cup.

The Reds’ last silverware came in 1992/93 when they defeated Farnborough to lift the Hampshire Senior Cup at Southampton’s Dell.