Fareham rekindle Horndean rivalry with draw

By Connor Steel

FAREHAM TOWN marked their return to Isthmian League action with a stalemate as they rekindled their ex-rivalry with Horndean on Tuesday evening (September 16); eventually earning a late one-one draw with their ‘local rivals’ following a feisty and dramatic encounter which was enjoyed by a total of 274 spectators at Cams Alders despite drizzly weather.

The Creeksiders adapted brighter to these wet conditions and created an immediate attack within four minutes as Josh Benfield raced onto a ball through the middle; the striker attempting to lob Horndean keeper Myles Bowman to no avail. This was followed by Dan Bennett firing wide a free kick and Cal Neil volleying just wide during this first fifteen minutes.

Horndean survived the early pressure confidently and offered a platform to move up further forward; a tactic that nearly paid dividends as a back heel caught Declan McCarthy out but fortunately dribbled wide of the sticks. Brandon Chebby had an attempt fly off target shortly afterwards; before play was halted due to a bad-looking head injury for Coby Killick.

The stoppage helped the Creeksiders to regroup and they should have been ahead in the 38th minute when a ball was met by the onrushing Benfield who hit a reverse ramp drive but just over the bar. Dan Sibley added his name to this list of missed chances as he headed wide and Neil forced a good diving save from Bowman to finish this goalless first half.

Casey Bartlett-Scott saw a shot deflected wide to start the second half but truthfully Horndean were simply much more effective in winning the second balls and this gave them a period of control. And the visitors made their pressure count just before the hour as one of many deep crosses reached the head of Ryan Carroll, who fired a looping header home.

Proceedings also entered a scrappy period with multiple substitutions and fouls ruining most momentum for either side who both saw a series of yellows in quick successions as tensions rose entering this last fifteen minutes. This naturally boiled over as a scuffle saw more bookings including a second one for Tommy Whitehead, who was soon shown a red.

Bartlett-Scott’s free kick caused chaos in the Horndean penalty area before the hosts scored a late leveller in stoppage time; Bennett doing well to weave through the areas and finding Dan Sibley to blast home for 1-1. There was a big last opportunity from Ollie Godziemski as he hit this side netting before the end, and Sibley fired wide in their very final kick.

Fareham have risen to fourteenth in these current league standings with five games played to date although they have played less fixtures than others around them at this early stage. Attentions will however turn to knockout action as they host Bishops Cleeve on Saturday afternoon, before playing AFC Portchester for the second El-Creekio derby on 23/09.

PICTURED BY FAREHAM TOWN MEDIA: Home attacker makes swipe for goal despite ‘attentions’ of away defenders.