Fareham restore battered confidence with first Western Conference win of the season

Fareham, having squandered several good chances before the break, scored three second half goals to collect their first win of the season, writes MIKE VIMPANY.

Jack Simmons and George Davey hit the target either side of a James Seager penalty stroke.

Fareham’s confidence was at a pretty low ebb after losing 5-2 at Bristol University and 5-1 to Devon-based Isca after the honours had been shared in a curtain raising 3-3 draw with Exeter University.

Fareham coach and former goalkeeper George Harris reckoned the 5-1 thumping by Isca was ‘probably the worst performance I had been part of at the club, either as a goalkeeper or a coach.

‘Confidence understandably took a battering after conceding ten goals in our last two away games, but the squad responded with attitudes in training very positive, with particular attention paid to our individual and unit defence and general intensity.

‘We still need to add some polish to our attacking game and our set pieces but I’m delighted with the clean sheet.’

Fareham ought to have had their noses in front before the break, failing to hit the target with three penalty corners.

A fine surging run into the circle by Sam Ratliffe preceded two off-target shots by Niall Stott, while Chris Davey touched another shot over the bar.

Fareham’s young side generally called the tune in a low-key opening 35 minutes, while new goalkeeper Alex White (who has arrived at Henry Cort from Milton Keynes) pulled off a superb save with his outstretched stick midway through the period.

Fareham repelled several early second half Plymouth short corners before Jack Simmons relieved anxieties with the opening goal.

Formerly of Exeter University, Simmons plays with intensity and has a lot of quality on the ball.

‘We expect to see more from him as the season progresses,’ Harris added.

‘His pre/early season has been a bit disjointed due to a niggling injury and availability but hopefully those issues are now behind him.”

Zak Way’s yellow card didn’t help Fareham’s cause, but Plymouth – with only one win from four outings themselves – seldom posed any significant threat.

Fareham needed a second goal and it came from a Seager penalty – the ball striking a Plymouth foot on the line after the evergreen midfielder had struck the upright with a venomous drive.

Two goals down, Plymouth withdrew their goalkeeper and played with a kicking back in the closing stages, White making another fine save to keep his goal intact.

But they were caught out when Fareham broke from a penalty corner and Davey carried the ball upfield unchallenged to make it 3-0.

‘That performance was exactly what we wanted and will hopefully go some way to boosting the confidence which as we know takes time to build yet is so easily lost,’ Harris concluded.

Fareham host high-riding Clifton Robinsons at Henry Cort on Sunday (1.30pm).

Fareham teenager Charlie Cook, who has a final England U16 trial next weekend, hit an opportunist hat-trick in the second team’s 6-1 win over Witney.