Slade stunner caps great Fareham second half show against Horndean

Luke Slade scored a great goal as Fareham defeated Horndean 3-0 at Cams Alders

The Reds had lost their previous five home Wessex Premier games against the Deans, but ran out emphatic 3-0 winners to move to within three points of second-placed Hamble Club and with a game in hand.

In a tightly-congested chasing pack behind leaders Alresford, Horndean - losing away in the league for the first time in 2019/20 - would have leapt into third spot on goal difference had they won.

After an evenly-matched opening 45 minutes, the game turned Fareham’s way when referee Mark Shapland awarded the hosts a penalty for a foul on Archie Wilcox.

Lewis Stockford’s spot-kick was saved by Lloyd Thomas diving down to his left, but the same player was on hand to easily net the rebound.

Within a minute of the restart, Horndean were down to 10 men when ex-Pompey midfielder Jack Maloney was sent to the sinbin for dissent.

As soon as he returned to the fray, Horndean conceded twice more in the space of two minutes after top scorer Bobby Scott had whacked a close range shot straight against home keeper Dec McCarthy.

First, Thomas failed to deal with a corner, allowing Hiscox to head in from close range.

Then, 60 seconds later, sub Luke Slade struck a superb third.

Collecting the ball on the left hand side of the Horndean penalty area, he cut inside and curled a superb shot past a diving Thomas and into the corner of the net.

It could easily have been 4-0 shortly after when a flowing move ended with Slade getting a clear sight of goal but Thomas saving low down.

That was Fareham’s 27th goal in nine home league games - only Alresford and Portland (both 32) have scored more among Wessex top flight sides this term.

But it could have been a very different ending had Horndean capitalised on two good first half chances.

Scott - playing against his former club - was through on 12 minutes but saw a low shot pushed away for a corner by Declan McCarthy.

Then Greg Peel found himself in space on the edge of the six yard box but chose to pass rather than shoot.

The nearest Fareham came to breaking the deadlock in the first half came in the 40th minute.

Left back Will Harris set up captain Gary Austin for a shot which was superbly tipped over by Thomas.