Three wins and 20 goals - Fleetlands joint-manager Dan Greenwood hails great start to new Hampshire Premier League role

It’s three wins on the bounce now for the new-look Coptermen following a 5-1 win against Overton on an artificial surface at Gosport’s Bay House School.

Greenwood left his role as Hayling United assistant in the wake of their 3-2 home loss to Moneyfields on December 4.

Within days he was installed as co-boss at Fleetlands alongside Chris Blakeman, and in his first two games the team hammered Liss 10-2 and came from 0-2 down to beat Paulsgrove 5-4 - their first league win against Grove for over five years.

Their latest success lifted Fleetlands into fifth place. They trail leaders Moneyfields by 13 points with two games in hand, and second-placed Denmead by 10 points with one game in hand.

But, significantly, they still have to play Denmead twice and have games against Moneyfields (home), third-placed Locks Heath (away) and fourth-placed Colden Common (away) as well.

There could be many twists and turns in a Premier Division promotion race that looks impossible to call at the moment.

Sub Jake Alford (2), George Gregory, Callum Dart and Callum Theobald netted against Overton.

‘First half we were comfortable at 2-0,’ said Greenwood. ‘Second half we started a bit too slow, they could have made it 2-1.

‘Their player took the ball around our keeper but Dan Clasby made a great last-ditch tackle. I was shocked he got there - he must have had 10 yards on Dan.’

As it was, Overton eventually grabbed a consolation when they trailed 5-0.

Clasby was one of a handful of players Greenwood brought over from Hayling. The others were Theobald, keeper Joe Boxall, Gregory and George Caister. A sixth - Baffins Milton Rovers attacker Dart - also swapped his HPL dual registration from Hayling to Fleetlands. That wasn’t a surprise - he is Greenwood’s cousin!

‘Danny Thompson (Baffins assistant manager) was there to watch Callum on Saturday,’ revealed Greenwood. ‘They’re going well at the moment but if they get any injuries they can call him back and he’ll be match fit.’

Gregory followed up his debut double against Paulsgrove with his 16th league and cup goal of the HPL season against Overton.

With Boxall suspended and Jayden Ridout unavailable, Aaron Smith answered an SOS to play in goal - driving up from Plymouth to become Fleetlands’ sixth first team keeper of 2021/22.

There had been talk of Fleetlands signing Tom Price from Moneyfields in the week, but in the end he returned to US Portsmouth - hence the call to Smith.

Greenwood, meanwhile, revealed Gregory was at the centre of one of the reasons why he decided to leave Hayling United after three seasons - two as reserve boss and this one as assistant manager.

‘I didn’t agree with some of the decisions Bish (Hayling boss Dan Bishop) was making,’ he said. ‘George Gregory was on the bench against Moneyfields and I didn’t think our top scorer should be there against the league leaders.

‘I left Hayling on the Saturday and the following day someone put me in touch with Dean Inman (at Fleetlands).

‘I spoke with Iain (Sellstrom, Fleetlands chairman) and he outlined what he was looking for. I’d said I’d come over if I was joint manager with Chris.

‘I didn’t know Chris but we complement each other well. I’m sure in the next three months we’ll disagree on something - that’s the nature of football!’

Greenwood is hoping to ensure the Fleetlands squad train more regularly than they used to.

Two sessions were held last week - including a running session on Southsea beach - and he admitted: ‘If you want promotion, you have to train - that’s a bare minimum.

‘The players I’ve brought over have always trained weekly, and the players who were already here are buying into it.’

Before Christmas, Fleetlands had brought in a handful of Horndean youth players to bolster numbers - Angelo Harris, Owen Perkins, Morgan McKenzie, Lawrence Cooper and Brandon McKinnon. They have all now returned to Five Heads Park.

Next weekend Fleetlands travel to Southampton Leaguers Hedge End Town in the Hampshire FA Trophy – ‘I think we’ve got 12 players cup tied’ said Greenwood – before league games against lowly Lyndhurst and Chamberlayne.