Fareham drop deeper into relegation mire after six-goal home loss to ‘clinical’ Oxted

A 6-2 defeat by table-topping Oxted coincided with all three of their drop zone rivals picking up points.

Canterbury won 2-0 at Team Bath, while Oxford Hawks and Brighton & Hove - the only side Fareham have beaten this term - forced draws.

It has left Fareham three points adrift at the bottom, with a vastly inferior goal difference (minus 22) to their rivals.

Head coach Ben Barnes conceded: ‘Oxted were the best side we have played and were competitive for long periods of the game.

‘They were clinical and finished their chances well.

‘It was an even first half but going in at half-time 3-0 down felt a little hard on how we had played.

‘We did not deal with their aerial threat well enough and conceded two goals from them. ‘Another counter attack was finished well after we were caught in possession and it was uphill from there.

‘We had three chances first half that really needed to go in but went begging.

‘The second half was more encouraging as we sorted out a few team shape issues, identified some individual errors and played better as a team going forward - but the damage had been done.’

Oxted were 4-0 up before Fareham got on the scoresheet - Jamie Rawlings converting a 49th minute penalty corner on his return from Reading.

Fareham's second goal - at 6-1 down - came from a Rory Penrose penalty.

James Meakin hobbled off with a hamstring injury and is rated 50/50 to play at Team Bath on Sunday.