Fareham succumb to shock home Clanfield cup loss
By Connor Steel
FAREHAM TOWN continued an average start to their 2024/25 campaign as they hosted Clanfield FC in the Hampshire Senior Cup on Tuesday evening; eventually falling to a two-nil home defeat against their ‘lower league’ opponents after the feisty First Round encounter that yielded red cards for both sides in front of 158 supporters at a warm Cams Alders.
The Creeksiders started brightly despite many changes and created the first chance within five minutes as Oli Kershaw ran down the wing before feeding Ash Tattersall; who flashed wide of the advancing strikers. Jack Breed further had an opening as he collected a ball from the winger and sliced off target from an angle; the ‘low sun’ causing multiple issues.
Missed opportunities were punished when Clanfield opened the scoring on eighteen minutes through Fred Penfold; the attacker running onto a deep ball which split the home defence and placing into the near corner. An exact attack for the visitors nearly got the same outcome but Jake Knight’s effort was brilliantly saved by Declan McCarthy diving to his left.
Clanfield were now in control and appeared to be winning every battle as the half hour mark passed without any further incident; the hosts now struggling to regain any meaningful period of possession against their ‘hardworking’ opponents. A poor half for Fareham did conclude with a shot on goal through Jamie Hosking’s free kick but it didn’t test the keeper.
Proceedings copied a similar pattern in the second half before a red card was shown to Stan Hopkins after 56 minutes; the Clanfield captain appearing to punch Matt Pates whilst reacting to a challenge with the officials watching. And it did seem to spark Fareham into life with two attacking substitutions; whilst Brandon Jewell drove a fierce shot over the bar.
Josh Benfield was one of these changes and he saw his driven shot denied comfortably just after the hour mark before Pates found Jewell in a pocket of space; the midfielder seeing the effort blocked at source by the stubborn defender. In response, Clanfield won a corner and doubled their lead through Knight; who headed home a cross from the right wing.
The second goal killed momentum for Fareham but they kept pushing for a way back into the tie; Charlie Cooper hitting the side netting before Jewell forced a finger-tip save in the 84th minute. Frustrations were on the rise however and the hosts were given a final blow when Benfield was sent off in added time for a foul despite huge shouts for a “fair tackle”.
This defeat marks the second cup exit for the Creeksiders in three weeks and they have only won once in their opening five matches this campaign; including the narrow loss to Portland in the league last weekend. They will now face a long journey to visit Wincanton this Saturday before 2 home encounters versus Hythe & Dibden and Hamworthy Recreation.
PICTURED BY FAREHAM TOWN: Home attacker lines up a ‘dangerous looking free kick’ as away defence watch ball.
