AFC Stoneham 3 Fareham Town 0 - Media

On a mild Tuesday evening, Stoneham returned to league action with a 3-0 win at home against Fareham Town. .Two goals from Duarte Martins and one from Ben Clarke secured the win.

Jamie Johnston went close for Stoneham as a good lofted through ball from Jake Thomson found Duarte Martins who laid the ball off to Johnston on his right hand side, before Johnston saw his low curling effort sail just wide. Bridgman had another effort for the visitors after a ball was swung in from the left hand side towards the player, but his shot went over the bar once more.

Duarte soon had his effort for the home side, receiving the ball just inside the box before drilling a low effort wide. Stoneham tried their luck from distance as the half wore on as Jim Orvis played the ball infield for Alex Welch who saw his effort narrowly miss the top left hand corner.

Duarte Martins soon broke the deadlock for the home side however as he was played through by Jamie Johnston and coolly chipped the goalkeeper.. As Stoneham gained a grip on the game, Duarte was played clean through by Oli Jenkins and coolly finished in the top corner to double the lead.

Alfie Bridgman had the first opening of the second half for the visitors as he cut inside and forced Ross Casey to save low to his right.Fifteen minutes into the second half, the Purps had had a couple of half chances, with the closest coming from Duarte Martins who flicked a cross on with his head and narrowly missed the left hand bottom corner.

Stan Bridgman forced Ross Casey into his best save of the night 25 minutes into thesecond half as he dribbled into the penalty area, forcing a reaction save from the Purps’ shot stopper.

Oli Jenkins thought he had his name on the scoresheet for Stoneham after receiving the ball from Duarte Martins and taking it past two players before drilling a low effort just wide.

Ben Clarke added the home sides third as the final drew nearer, creeping round to the back post to head home from a corner.

By Cameron Donaldson

Fareham Towm report:

AFC Stoneham 3-0 Fareham Town

For this evenings league fixture Fareham made the short trip down the M27 to AFC Stoneham's ground at the Hants FA hub at Eastleigh. It's never an easy place to go and certainly hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Fareham, we're thinking Fareham have never won at this ground.

A cold chilly day had been made a bit worse by the arrival of some drizzle just before KO. Alfie Bridgman making his debut with Stan starting in midfield and Jamie Truckel upfront.

The game got off to a frenetic start, both sides moving the ball quickly but unable to really create anything of note. The main issue for Fareham early on was a nasty knock on Kieran Clark that saw him hobble off to be replaced by Ash Tattersall in defence.

Stoneham saw a shot just wide on 7 mins but it took until 15 mins for Fareham's first chance, Stan Bridgman with a shot just over the bar.

So after 20 mins we were watching a high paced game with very few chances. But the home side were slowly getting the better of proceedings, a good chance on 23 mins as Stoneham broke on the left, the shot across the face of Declan McCarthys goal and out on the far side.

Fareham responded immediately as Elliot Holmes got to the bye-line on Fareham's left, his cross finding Stan Bridgman who again put his shot just over the bar.

As the half wore on so Stoneham became the controlling side, and sure enough on 33 mins the homes side danger man Duarte Martins was played through and finished with a lovely dink over Dec and into the net 1-0 down.

Fareham went onto the back foot for a period now, Alfie Bridgman with a good chance on 39 mins which went high but other than that it was a midfield tussle with Stoneham getting the better of it.  A few Stoneham chances coming before a mistake in midfield on 47 mins, the ball given away to Duarte Martins who again didn’t need a second invitation and easily placed the ball into the net  2-0 .

Half Time AFC Stoneham 2-0 Fareham Town.

By now the rain was lashing down, the cold and wet Fareham fans not really enjoying this one.

The second half started with a Fareham chance, Alfie Bridgman with a shot low to the near post which Ross Casey in the Stoneham goal saved well.

But then it was back to the midfield battle with Stoneham having the better of it.  Although Fareham's best chance of the night came on 62 mins, Stan Bridgman weaving through the Stoneham back line, his shot low and hard saved at the near post by Casey.

Harvey Aston and Stan Ridgway were replaced by Matt Pates and Sam Woodward as Fareham looked for a way back in.

Midway through the second half and Fareham seemed to have weathered the storm a bit and were coming back into the game, some nice passing moves across the park but unable to find a way through the well organised Stoneham defence. 

Josh Benfield replaced Jamie Truckel and on 76 mins a corner to Fareham dropped to Matt Pates, his shot completely wrongfooted Casey in the Stoneham goal but unfortunately went the wrong side of the post.

No sooner had the ball been cleared then Stoneham won a corner and a long ball to the far post found Stoneham's Ben Clarke who powered his header down and into the net.  3-0.

Henri Graham replaced Charlie Cole but Fareham despite better possession still struggled to break down the Stoneham defence, Alfie Bridgman with a good chance at the death into the side netting.

FULL TIME AFC Stoneham 3-0 Fareham Town.

I did say it wasn’t a happy hunting ground and so it proved.  Stoneham are a very strong, well organised side who play good passing football. After a slow start to the season they have really hit their stride and will be challenging for the title by the end of the season.  I would say the best team we've played this season so far.

Creeksiders MotM.   Very difficult call this week,  nobody really stood out but nobody did that badly. The Creeksiders fans went with Ash Tattersall, came on early in the game into a central defensive role and worked tirelessly.

 Team: McCarthy, Wingfield, Sullivan, Cole (Graham), Bennett, Clark (Tattersall), A Bridgman, Aston (Pates), Truckel (Benfield), S. Bridgman (Woodward), Holmes,