Meon Milton bidding for superb Hampshire Premier League cup final achievement – just a year after playing in the Mid-Solent League

Meon Milton's Jamie Neil, left, seen here in action for Fareham.

PICTURE:STEVE REID(034596-60) — Meon Milton's Jamie Neil, left, seen here in action for Fareham. PICTURE:STEVE REID(034596-60)

Only promoted from the Mid-Solent League last summer, Meon face higher tier Sway at Fareham Town’s Cams Alders on Wednesday (7.45pm).

The winners will face either Moneyfields or Locks Heath, who meet at the same ground next Wednesday.

It is Meon’s second cup semi-final in a few weeks, after a recent 2-0 home loss to Shanklin in the Hampshire FA Trophy.

The club’s cup runs are a superb achievement, bearing in mind Meon are in the second tier of the HPL.

They warmed up for the Sway tie with a 4-1 romp at Upham in a Division 1 SE fixture.

Goals came from leading scorer Connor Mansfield - his 27th goal in 22 league and cup games - Morgan Easen, Dan Edwards and Taylor Hansen.

‘I keep on telling the players they are capable of playing at a higher level,’ said boss Bickram Singh. ‘We showed that - it could easily have been 8-1.’

Singh was also pleased with his side’s display in the previous league game, a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Harvest.

‘We were excellent,’ Singh recalled. ‘Their manager said we were the better team. Their keeper was man of the match, he was ridiculous the saves he made.’

Sway were knocked out at the quarter final stage, but reinstated when Colden Common were booted out due to fielding in ineligible player.

The New Forest club have been inconsistent this term, winning 10 and losing 11 of their 21 league games. But they have not recorded a single victory against a side currently in the top six.

Singh includes his former Moneyfields colleague Jamie Neill in the squad. It will be a Cams return for Neill, who also used to play for Fareham. But another ex-Dover Road man - Owen Elias - is ineligible as he has not played enough games to qualify. Elias scored on his debut against Harvest but missed the Upham win through injury.

‘We’re fired up,’ said Singh, who has never seen Sway play. ‘We’ve got our energy back, our passion back - it had gone a bit flat mid-season. We’re ready to fight for a place in the final.’