Sub Seiden sees red as Moneyfields fail to dent Stoneham’s superb Wessex League home record

Former Stoneham striker Callum Laycock, right, in action for Moneyfields last night. Picture by Dave Bodymore.

Matt Bainbridge netted twice as the Purples claimed a fully deserved 3-0 Premier Division win to leapfrog Moneys – who had won eight of their previous 10 league games - into fifth place.

It was Stoneham’s fifth home league victory in a row this season, and they have now won 17 of their last 21 home Wessex games, losing just once - 3-1 to Horndean last January.

Cain suffered his injury towards the end of the fixture with his side already trailing 3-0. Seiden, who had come on as a second half sub, was subsequently dismissed for comments made to the referee as Cain lay on the pitch.

‘It was disappointing, to be honest,’ Moneys assistant boss Joe Noakes - taking charge in the absence of manager Glenn Turnbull - told The News.

‘Stoneham took their chances well, we weren’t really at the races.

‘I’ve got no complaints, they were the better team on the night.

‘We’d had them watched at Portchester last Saturday (the Royals won 3-2) and we felt they deserved something in that game. We knew it would be tough.’

With Jack Lee serving a one-game ban for picking up five bookings, Moneys had planned to give ex-Portchester regular Craig Hardy his first start alongside Cain in central defence.

But Hardy was ruled out through sickness, with Harry Sargeant - normally a central midfielder - deployed as an emergency defender in his place.

Harry Birmingham, who came on for Cain, wasn’t fully fit so was not risked from the start.

Moneys’ best two chances came in the first half, but ex-Stoneham favourite Callum Laycock and Chad Cornwell both failed to hit the target.

Bainbridge, who had only scored twice in 23 appearances prior to last night, was joined on the scoresheet by the far more prolific Duarte Martins.

Martins now has 26 league and cup goals this season, with only Portchester’s Brett Pitman (29) ahead of him in the Wessex Premier scoring stakes.

Moneys travel to another top five side this weekend, Hamble Club, before hosting two attractive PO postcode derbies at Westleigh Park against top two Horndean (December 16) and Portchester (December 27).