Fareham’s Western Conference promotion prospects suffer second five-goal beating by Exeter University this season

Isca won 5-1 in east Devon in the second round of fixtures in mid-October and repeated the dose with a fully deserved 5-2 victory at gale-lashed Henry Cort, writes MIKE VIMPANY.

The result saw Fareham blown off top spot – quite literally – and drop down to third, though in an increasingly congested situation only three points separate the top five sides after 12 matches.

Fareham had seen new leaders Bristol University wipe away a three-goal deficit to draw 3-3 seven days earlier.

They took the lead again against Isca – the team’s penalty corner techniques clearly improving as Niall Stott drove Fergus Jackson’s injection across the face of the visitors’ goal and Chris Davey applied the finish.

It didn’t take Isca too long to equalise with the first of three converted short corners, tucked away by Tom Brooks.

By half-time Fareham had fallen behind – Cuthbert Shepherd getting a deflection to a waspish cross-shot which fizzed across the goalmouth.

Davey’s ten-minute stint in the sin-bin for a rash challenge at the start of the second period hardly helped Fareham’s cause.

But, despite being a man down, Fareham did manage to claw it back to 2-2 through Stott, from another successful penalty corner.

Fareham did enjoy periods of pressure after that, but Isca were the better side and consecutive short corner conversions saw them lead 4-2 before Shepherd scored the fifth from a penalty stroke.