‘Very disappointed’ – former Wembley winner Graham Rix suffers FA Cup exit in first game as Fareham Town manager

The man who won the tournament as a player with Arsenal and as a coach with Chelsea saw his new charges beaten 2-1 at Wessex Premier rivals Blackfield & Langley in a preliminary round qualifying tie.

Alec Sawyer and Clayd Roach gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead. But for all Fareham’s possession after the break, they could only manage a Callum Benfield consolation.

‘We should have got something out of the game to be honest,’ said Rix.

‘We weren’t very good at all in the first half. Second half we dominated, our keeping had nothing to do - literally nothing.’

Blackfield’s goals arrived when the Reds failed to deal with long balls.

‘We’d given them the info,’ said Rix. ‘We knew they had a bit of pace up front. That’s something the players have to be better at - dealing with the info they’re given.

‘It was very disappointing indeed. We deserved a draw.’

Rix had to make four changes from the starting XI selected by predecessor Pete Stiles at Brockenhurst the previous weekend.

Casey Bartlett-Scott, Jack Breed, Connor Underhill and Ethan Jones were all injured or unavailable.

*Lee Wort was on target against his former club as AFC Portchester failed to produce a FA Cup upset at Southern Leaguers Sholing.

Wort, who plundered 40 goals for the Royals last season, and strike partner Dan Mason netted in the first half last Friday.

Portchester stepped it up in the second half with Felipe Barcelos netting on 70 minutes after Brett Pitman had flicked on a Sam Pearce pass.

Ryan Wilkins and Connor Bailey then brought saves out of Ryan Gosney, while the ball just would settle for Pitman to get a shot in.

‘I felt we gave them a little bit too much respect in the first half,’ said Royals boss Dave Carter.

‘They’re a good team, I’d imagine they will do well in their league. But we matched them, and I have to be pleased with that as we’re not going to play anyone of their standard in our league.

‘We had a lot of possession in the first half, but didn’t really work their keeper. We came out in the second half and pushed and pushed. It was one-way traffic after our goal, we had them on the ropes.’

*US Portsmouth’s dream of reaching the first qualifying round for the first time was dashed by Wessex Premier rivals Laverstock & Ford.

A goal in each half - from Adam Bourner and Chae Sykes - gave the Wiltshire side their first-ever passage to that stage.

‘Though we lost, I’m not massively disappointed,’ said US boss Fraser Quirke. ‘The first 45 minutes was the best half we’ve played all season.

‘I was genuinely pleased with the way we played - we were the dominant team.

‘We didn’t match it in the second half but it was a good team performance overall.’

The nearest US came to a goal was when Tee Kanjanda, playing on the right of midfield, rattled the woodwork with a first-half shot.

In the absence of the unavailable Simon Woods, Brandon Jewell was deployed up front while Sam Emeney returned to the centre of defence alongside Shaun Benjamin. Emeney was forced off late on, though, with the elbow injury he sustained in pre-season.