Ben Hibberd completed a point-saving hat-trick before being one of three Winchester players sent off in a card-strewn South Hockey League Premier Division 1 4-4 draw against Oxford University at Iffley Road.
Midfielder Mark Maunsell and young goalkeeper Caelen Dillon were also red carded and, alongside Hibberd, have already begun an automatic initial 16-day ban, putting them out of  Winchester’s next two SPL matches against high flying pair London Edwardians and Spencer.
Winchester picked up a staggering nine cards at the historic Oxford venue, where Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four minute mile in 1954.
The significant one-team card tally is believed to be unprecedented in the South Hockey League.
No Oxford player was disciplined, while Winchester collected four yellows and two greens in addition to the three reds.
Winchester finished the match with one point – but only nine players on the pitch. Goalkeeper Dillon is believed to have received a Match Day Misconduct red card after the final whistle.
Winchester, who fought a titanic Premier Division 2 promotion battle with the Dark Blues last season, were twice in front from penalty strokes at Iffley Road.
Twice Oxford University defenders were penalised for ‘foot on the goal-line’ offences and each time Hibberd tucked the strokes away.
In between times, Andrew Oxburgh equalised for the University with a reverse stick shot into Dillon’s top corner.
The second half saw Oxford convert three penalty corners – an Oxburgh equaliser and a drag flick brace from Nick Leach.
Winchester, who picked up a green and a yellow card before the break, began to lose their cool and collected three more yellows as Oxford opened up a 4-2 lead.
Yet a Kent Langridge goal got Winchester back into it – only for Maunsell to see red.
Down to ten men and into the closing stages, Winchester levelled 4-4 with Hibberd’s hat-trick clinching short corner, but soon after he too was sent off.
It meant Winchester playing out the dying minutes with nine men, but creditably they held on to draw.
Winchester club captain Stuart Swift commented: “We are disappointed with the cards shown.  We are investigating the circumstances of each one and an appropriate response will be forthcoming from our discipline officer.”

Fareham had a 3-1 interval lead wrested from their grip as a talented Exeter University eventually edged them out 5-4 in a West Conference thriller.
Exeter’s Tom Watson initially fired the West Country students ahead, but by just after the half-hour mark Fareham were 3-1 up and calling the tune.
“Exeter are the best side we have played so far,” remarked Fareham’s Performance Director Ben Barnes.
“They had good spells in the first half which we weathered well and got back to 1-1 - Chris Davey scored a cracking goal linking well with his younger brother George.”
A trademark Jamie Rawlins (pictured above by Neil Marshall) penalty corner and a maiden National League strike by teenager George Davey ten minutes gave Fareham their 3-1 advantage.
“To be fair, Exeter created more chances (than us) in that first half and after the break really stepped up the pressure to leave Fareham 4-3 down through strikes by Canor Caplan and Ed Matts inside 11 minutes,” Barnes recalled.
“At 4-3 down we grouped with Luke Cornish scoring again but two minutes later Sam Hooper struck what proved Exeter’s 5-4 winner from a short corner.
“The, right on the whistle, Luke agonisingly rolled a shot  just wide of the post and deny us a fifth and equalising goal.”
Fareham lie in mid-table with three wins and three defeats – with basement side Clifton Robinsons at Henry Cort on Sunday, 1.30, when the inspirational Ian Stott will return from injury.
“Exeter was a tight game and we have gone toe to toe with the top three teams from last year and come up just short,” Barnes added.
“The team was down as we want to be winning those games and we are getting closer. If we keep up the hard work at training I am sure we can as each of Bath, Cardiff and Exeter will have to come to Henry Cort after Christmas.!
* Fareham II made it three successive Regional Division One victories when goals by George Davey and Luke Gould secured a 2-1 win at Havant II.

Southampton's Lukas Drumm provided a hat trick for the visitors to keep the Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 2 game alive to the dying moments, but Winchester, boasting perhaps their strongest-ever 2nd XI line up,  can out comfortable 5-3 winners.
Southampton, with only one win in five games, struck ten minutes-in as Drumm slotted home a penalty corner to Ally Birch's right.
Two minutes later Adam Major reacted quickest when a Winchester shot cannoned back off the post.
Birch made another important point blank save before Winchester added a second, almost a carbon copy of the first. as Stuart Swift scrambled the ball over the line.
Just before the break Tognarelli reminded those present of his dragflick skills to take Winchester into a 3-1 lead.
Within two minutes of the restart, Drumm had sent a second dragflick past Birch, this time to his left, but Winchester soon recovered their two goal advantage when Greg Cox, who has just re-joined from Fareham, ploughed his way skilfully through the defence and buried his strike into the far corner.
Andy Winnett seemed to have sealed things when his tennis skills were deployed to forehand volley a loose ball from a penalty corner breakdown to take a five-two lead.
Southampton did not throw in the towel and Birch was once again in action to save a penalty flick.
Drumm then really showed his class with the best goal of the game, surging through the Winchester defence and powering home.
But with the clock beyond 30 second-half minutes it was too late to stage a proper comeback.

Trojans’ Jacques Priestner converted a penalty corner within two minutes of the start of their Southern Premier League Division 1 match with Banbury – but found themselves ripped apart by three goals in quick succession either side of the break.
They caught Banbury cold with a prompt Priestner short corner, but Australian Kieran Symons cleared the deficit shortly afterwards.  Scott Summers restored Trojans lead, again from a set piece, but by half-time Banbury were 4-2 ahead through Steve O’Connor, Simon Boardman and Tyson Nunneley.
Trojans were experiencing difficulty in containing Banbury’s speedy attacks and a fifth goal, Symons’ second, effectively ended the contest.  Trojans did have a chance to claw one goal back late on, but Ian Bassett saw his rising penalty stroke parried over the bar by tally Banbury keeper Fergus Dunleavy.

It was a back down to earth reality check for Havant as they were given a first half hockey lesson from Team Bath, last season’s West Conference champions, who scored four times in the opening 35 minutes before running out 6-2 winners.
If Havant were looking for a strong start and establish a platform, they didn’t get it. With less than two minutes on the clock, Team Bath worked the ball along the right goal line. Chris Bristow, bravely battling a painful ankle injury, made the initial save, only  for the ball to fall straight to the stick of the unmarked Ben Stevenson six yards out.
Havant were already having to battle hard to just retain the ball and make any inroads on the Team Bath defence. After nine minutes, Sam Hatherley managed to work a shot from a narrow angle but it didn’t trouble Stephen West, in the Bath goal. Immediately Bath were up the other end of the pitch. A slap hit into the circle from Irish International, John Jackson, flew off a Havant stick to Jamie Greenwood, who controlled it in the air and crashed the ball past Bristow on the half volley to make it 2-0.
Before Havant could draw breath they were three goals down. Chris Smith conceded a penalty corner, for an over robust challenge, and from it the injector, Jackson, managed to dive in front of Bristow to deflect Matt Ming’s half pace drag flick.
The mountain Havant had to climb had got even steeper. Team Bath continued to take the game to Havant as the visitors struggled to make any impression in midfield. With Taseeq in a deep lying role, Havant were reliant on his long aerials for Mike Deller-Merricks and Maciej Janiszewski to chase.
Team Bath forced four more penalty corners but their efforts at goal were either wide of the target, run down or dealt with impressively by the Havant keeper.
Having weathered the storm, Havant then handed Team Bath a fourth. A back pass from Taseeq was intercepted to give the home side a two on one, which Sam Anderson took full advantage of in the 24th minute.
Another determined run by Sam Hatherley finally gave Havant a chance from their first penalty corner after 29 minutes, but Tasseq’s drag flick down the centre of the goal was dealt with easily.
Four-down with the game virtually gone, Havant started the second half determined to at least win the half. Lessons weren’t learnt though and Team Bath added a fifth within a minute of the restart. Josh Mardell, who had an impressive first half, picked up the ball unopposed on the right, sped towards the circle, played a one two with a team mate on the goal line and calmly slotted the ball past Bristow. 5-0.
At this point, we’ve all seen teams totally capitulate. However in this case it seemed to shock Havant into action. Energy levels increased, pressing was more urgent and for the first time, Havant were winning the midfield battles. Good interplay between Sam and Maciej gave Matt Boote a chance to work a shot that was deflected wide. Another attack down the right gave Maciej the time to get the ball on his reverse side but the shot flashed past the far post. Then in a similar position Taseeq displayed some magical skills to manufacture another shot that was well saved. Maybe Team Bath had eased off a touch, but there was no denying Havant had bossed the game for a 20-minute spell but with nothing to show for it.
As is then often the case, Team Bath made Havant pay. After two earlier attacking thrusts had been thwarted by a good tackle from Taseeq and a save from Chris Bristow, Ben Stevenson won Team Bath another penalty corner in the 59th minute. This time Team Bath dummied the drag flick and slipped it left to Stevenson, who slapped it just inside the right post for his second of the game. 6-0.
Despite skipper Raj Laly picking up a yellow card, Havant continued to take the game to the opposition. With three minutes left they got a small consolation. Tomek Bruml worked the ball into the circle from the left to Maciej. His shot was saved but the rebound was eventually volleyed over the line by Sam Hatherley. 6-1.
Another chance was created and went begging immediately after and then with the final play of the game Maciej won another penalty corner. Taseeq’s drag flick was saved and then the umpire adjudged Craig Duffy had been fouled attempting to follow up. With the final whistle blown and the rest of the players shaking hands, Maciej easily put away the penalty stroke.
There was no denying that Team Bath has an impressive team, with some skilful individuals in all areas of the pitch. Perhaps Havant, though, were guilty of giving them too much respect in the first half and this is something certainly to take into Sunday’s home match with Olton & West Warwicks.

Fareham let slip a 3-1 interval lead and were beaten 5-4 by Exeter University in an England Hockey West Conference thriller.
The visitors shook off the effects of conceding a ninth minute goal to forge a 3-1 half-time lead, with Jamie Rawlings scoring either side of strikes by the Davey brothers, Chris and George.
The Exeter students then scored three times in 13 second half minutes to take a 4-3 lead, which Luke Cornish then wiped out.  Exeter hit a penalty corner winner five minutes from time.
Havant, four goals down inside 20 minutes, went down 6-2 at champions Team Bath.

Havant face a mounting injury list on the eve of their visit to West Conference champions Team Bath Buccaneers, with four first liners expected to be absent. 
Jonathan Pickett is definitely out, alongside Dan Ferrier, who has returned to Trojans, while Duncan Marsh has a hamstring injury. Goalkeeper Chris Bristow is battling to overcome the ankle injury he suffered in last week's 5-2 win over Clifton Robinsons.
Fareham, in contrast, have Luke Cornish back for the trip to Exeter University, but wait on Ian Stott, who missed last week's 3-2 win over Cheltenham with a bout of concussion.

Trojans ladies lost their 100 per cent England Women’s Hockey West Conference record when Reading beat them 1-0 courtesy of an Emma Thomas penalty corner at Sonning Lane.
Ben Hibberd bagged a hat-trick as Winchester forced a 4-4 draw against Oxford University at Iffley Road, while Trojans were undone by a pre and post half-time goal burst by Banbury, who beat them 5-2 at Stoneham Lane.
Results -
Men
South League Premier 1
Oxford University 4 Winchester 4 (Hibberd 3, Langridge).
Premier 2
Trojans 2 Banbury 5
Hampshire/Surrey Regional 1
Havant 1 Fareham 2 (G Davey, Gould), Sunbury & Walton Heath 8 Wimborne Wayfarers 2 (Lewis, Harvey).
Regional 2
Andover 4 Wanderers 1, Romsey 1 Oxted 3, Winchester 5 Southampton 3.
Women
England West Conference
Reading 1 Trojans 0.

Debut goalkeeping duo Ella Stachow and Sarah Mellors were the respective star turns of Fareham and Southampton women’s hockey.
Royal Navy minder Stachow made a string of fine saves, beating out 12 or more penalty corners, before Rachel Clarke mugged Lewes with a late 1-0 winner for Fareham at Henry Cort.
Similarly, third teamer Mellors made a series of crucial saves before Southampton went down 2-1 to South League Division 3B rivals Wanderers.  Sue Merry got Southampton’s goal.

A HOBBLING Ben Barnes emerged from the substitutes dug-out at Henry Cort to score Fareham II’s penalty flick winner against Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 1 rivals Reigate Priory.
Fareham’s head coach had been drafted into service as none of the bench players from the West Conference victory over Cheltenham was eligible to play.
“That left us numerically short, so I had to get the boots back on,” Barnes chuckled.
Fareham found themselves trailing but turned round 2-1 up through a Paul Metcalf penalty stroke and a second goal from teenager Kieran Paige.
Reigate levelled again at 2-2, but Barnes put his know how to good use late on to hit Fareham ’s winner from a penalty flick.
“It was a terrific win. We were well down on numbers, so gave a number of youngsters a crack and emerged winners,” Barnes beamed.

Trojans’ ladies unblemished five-match winning start to the England Women’s Hockey West Conference season will be put to the test against second placed Reading at Sonning Lane on Saturday tea-time.
The former national champions were relegated from the top flight of women’s hockey last season, but currently lie second to Trojans with three wins and two draws in their unbeaten start.
But Trojans will cross the Berkshire county border in a confident mood after a Cat Horn brace and a third goal from Emma Teague secured a 3-1 win over visiting Cannock.
The only downside was that Trojans conceded their first goal of the season on their way to  securing a fifth straight win.
Trojans built up plenty of first half pressure, frequently working their way up the sidelines - but took until a minute before half-time before Cat Horn breached the Cannock defences.
The lead was short lived as Jodie Beddow converted a penalty corner to put the West Midlanders’ on terms within a minute of the restart.
Trojans quickly regrouped and took seven minutes to restore their lead – Horn doubling their lead after finding herself unmarked in the circle.
The Stoneham girls held that 2-1 advantage until ten minutes from time when Emma Teague dived in front of her marker to extend Trojans’ eventual wining margin.

Martin Gough struck six minutes from time to give Fareham a 4-3 England Hockey West Conference win over Cheltenham they almost tossed away.
Five minutes into the second half Fareham were 3-0 up and cruising it – only to be rocked by two Cheltenham goals in three minutes and an equaliser soon after.
Just when the game might have slipped away, Gough’s predatory prowess came to the fore and Fareham got the winner.
With two of their most influential players in Luke Cornish and Niall Stott absent, Fareham had to make key personnel changes – but it didn’t prevent them from producing a positive two-goal first half display.
They took a 14th minute lead when former Peter Symonds College student Will Jones, pictured, got a touch to a screaming shot from James Seager, who doubled the advantage from a drag flick penalty corner before half-time.
It was Jones’s maiden National League goal and the teenager, signed from Havant in the close season, went on to be named man-of-the-match.
When Jamie Rawlings rifled another drag flick into the roof of the Cheltenham net early in the second half the result appeared academic.
Fareham lost the intensity they had earlier enjoyed and allowed Cheltenham right back into the match to the extent that Alex Salmon and Luke Cole reduced the deficit to 3-2 – and then ex-Havant man Ben MacKay equalised with a penalty corner.
But Fareham kept their heads and, six minutes from time, prised open the visitors defence with a well worked three-man move involving Danny Rawlings, the inspirational Will Jones and Alex Boxall.
It was Boxall, the Fareham captain, who worked the ball in for the right for Gough to do what he does best – and put the ball into the net for the winner.
But it still wasn’t over because George Harris had to make a late penalty corner save to deny Cheltenham a draw.

Two crisply executed penalty corner conversions by recent signing Micah Smithard, pictured, were the highspot of a five-goal second half show by Winchester, who beat South Premier Division 1 rivals Horsham 5-1 at Kings.
The win lifted newly promoted Winchester to fourth spot ahead of Saturday’s visit to Oxford University, with whom Ben Hibberd’s squad fought a titanic promotion battle last term.
Winchester called the tune throughout the goal-less first half against Horsham, only to be thwarted by goalkeeper Andy Isaacs, who pulled off a series of superb saves.
Ironically, the nearest Winchester came to scoring was through centre-back Kevin Boniface – not exactly a hockey playing Sergio Aguero – who saw his goal-bound shot cleared off the line by a Horsham defender.
“I told the lads at half-time that patience was the order of the day and we needed to be a tad more clinical.  The boys didn’t disappoint,” Hibberd smiled.
Within two minutes of the restart, Winchester were ahead through skipper Kieran Molloy, who picked up a great pass from Will Phillips and drilled the ball through Isaacs’ legs.
A rasping strike by Sam Gill soon put Horsham level, but the equalizing goal sparked Winchester into action and two sweetly converted short corners by Smithard soon made it 3-1.
With Calean Dillon, their own goalkeeper, having a fine game, Winchester looked secure at the back and with the game now stretched, the city side began putting some fine midfield moves together, a neat exchange between Mark Maunsell and Molloy putting up Kent Langridge to make it 4-1.
A superb Bauful-like run by Harry Talks ended with the former Peter Symonds man cracking a shot against the inside of the Horsham upright.
But Winchester weren’t to be denied a fifth as Molloy wiggled his way down the left baseline and squared it back for Phillips to tap in.
Former Southampton hotshot and Toton & Eling cricketer Oli Knight bagged a hat-trick as Old Edwardians won 6-2 at Henley.

Indy Laly scored one minute from the end to give Havant a 2-1 win over West Conference rivals Isca – a commendable result bearing in mind goalkeeper Chris Bristow was a hobbling passenger for all the second half.
The Havant goalkeeper sprained his ankle trying to stop Isca’s equalising goal and but battled bravely, making several key saves to earn the MoM award.
Havant had earlier taken a first half lead through a Muhammad Arshad penalty corner conversion, which Jamie Cooke cancelled out.  Laly’s winner came in the last minute.
Havant, chasing back to back wins, controlled most of the first half but were conscious of Isca’s counter attack and several times Bristow made good saves.
Havant led with their first penalty corner, created by Matt Cox and Adam Bloomfield and resulting in a stick tackle. Arshad converted it to give the visitors a lead they enjoyed until six minutes after the break when Cooke picked up a rebound off the injured Bristow, play being held up for the keeper to be patched up.
Bristow shrugged off the effects of his painful ankle to deny Isca in the period leading up to the final whistle which Laly clinched the points with a rasping match winning shot.

Martin Gough hit Fareham’s winner six minutes from time after visiting Cheltenham had wiped out their hosts three-goal lead. 
Fareham won the England Hockey West Conference thriller 4-3.
Fareham appeared to be strolling it after strikes by Will Jones, James Seager and Jamie Rawlings gave them a 3-0 lead shortly after half-time, but Cheltenham scored three times in quick succession before Gough won it for Fareham.
Havant grabbed a last minute Indy Laly winner over Isca at Exeter, while Trojans ladies celebrated a fifth straight win, beating Cannock 3-1 at Stoneham lane.
Title favourites Stourport lost 2-0 at Swansea and Reading were held 1-1 by Gloucester City.
Results -
Men
England Hockey West Conference
Fareham 4 (Jones, Seager, Rawlings, Gough) Cheltenham 3, Isca 1 Havant 2 (Arshad, Laly).
South Premier Division 1
Winchester 5 (Smithard 2, Langridge, Molloy, Phillips) Horsham 1.
Division 2
Tunbridge Wells 7 Trojans 1.
Regional Division 1
Fareham II 3 (Barnes, Metcalf, Paige) Reigate Priory 2, Wimborne Wayfarers 1 (Butterfield) Woking 4.
Division 2
Camberley & Farnborough 4 Southampton 1, Romsey 2 (Butcher, Miles) Winchester II 4 (Ritchie, Penrose, Goodchild, Winnett).
Women
England Hockey West Conference
Trojans 3 (Horn 2, Teague) Cannock 1.
South League Division 2
Trojans II 2 Havant 0.
Division 3B
Fareham 1 (Clark) Lewes 0, Wanderers 2 Southampton 1 (Merry).

Trojans ladies chase a fifth straight England Women's Hockey West Conference win when they host Cannock at Stoneham Lane today, 12 noon push back.
They have won all four games so far, scoring 12 unanswered goals and lead Stourport and Reading by two points.
Trojans: Back (from left): Heather Batten, Daisy Strange, Jess Lea, Jenny Peebles, Rachel Robertson, Jill Tombs, Cat Horn, Pip Stewart, Mel Insall. Front: Freyja Haigh, Charlotte Steinbrecher,  Emma Teague, Rebecca Treharne, Gill Adams, Imogen Lea, Kat Petch.

Fareham host Cheltenham at Henry Cort on Saturday (1.30) minus inspirational midfielder Luke Cornish, who has a family wedding.  But Scotsman Christian McKenna, absent from the 4-2 defeat at Cardiff & Met, is expected to return.
Performance Director Ben Barnes also has concerns about experienced Niatt Stott, who went off at Sophia Gardens with a head injury.
Havant, fresh from a 5-2 win over Clifton Robinsons, look to cash in against Isca's leaking defence at Exeter University, the Devonians having conceded 15 goals in four games, including a 7-2 defeat in last weekend's Exeter derby.
Trojans girls chase a fifth straight win against Cannock at Stoneham lane, noon.  
Fixtures -
Saturday
Men
England Hockey West Conference
Fareham v Cheltenham (Henry Cort, 1.30), Isca v Havant.
South Premier Division 1
Winchester v Horsham (Kings, 2)
Division 2
Tunbridge Wells v Trojans
Regional Division 1
Fareham II v Reigate Priory (Henry Cort, 3), Wimborne Wayfarers v Woking (QES, 1.45).
Division 2
Romsey v Winchester II (Collegiate, 2)
Women
England Hockey West Conference
Trojans v Cannock (Stoneham Lane, noon)
South League Division 2
Trojans II v Havant (Stoneham Lane, 10)
Division 3B
Fareham v Lewes (Henry Cort, 11.30), Wanderers v Southampton (Battersea Park, 1.30)

Havant recorded their first win in England Men’s League West Conference with a  good first half and an indifferent second against winless Clifton Robinsons, who never recovered from conceding three goals in five minutes.
Havant had to wait until the 10th minute to take the lead after Raj Laly had drilled the ball into the circle to find Maciej Janiszewski,   who deflected the ball past Andy Hughes in the visitors goal.
A minute later Havant doubled their lead after Maciej and Sam Hatherley had combined well in midfield to allow Sam to enter the visitors circle where he won a penalty corner. Tosseq Arshad stepped up and flicked the ball into the bottom corner of the goal for his first since arriving from Pakistan last week. 
By the 15th minute Havant were 3-0 up from their second penalty corner of the game. The injection was not stopped, but Toseeq cleverly span and moved the ball onto Matt Cox who, in turn, set up Portsmouth Grammar School teenager Ethan Hoddle to score his first national league goal.
Havant were now in control and moved the ball round with confidence. Alas, chances to put the game to bed were missed and Havant needed goalkeeper Chris Bristow to deny Clifton Robinsons with two smart saves with a minute left on the clock.
Havant’s first half dominance was not to be repeated after the Bristol visitors made some tactical half-time adjustments to restrict the home side’s distribution.
Havant were slow to counteract this and what resulted was 20 minutes of dominance from Clifton.
The visitors pulled a goal back in the 37th minute from open play and after a melee in front of goal when Tom Jarvie found the back board. Four minutes latter Clifton sent a shot over Havant’s bar and then had a goal correctly disallowed, and a long corner was awarded. From this corner the ball was hit into the circle to be defected into the Havant goal by Tom Bryant. It transpired after the game that Clifton admitted they did not get a touch on the ball ! 
Clifton were now right back in the game and threw attack after attack at Havant who struggled to get a hold on the game.
It was Maciej who settled the home supporters nerves in the 64th minute after a rebound of the Clifton fell to him. Havant now moved forward with more purpose but the final pass in the circle went astray too often.
Clifton made the positive move by removing their goalkeeper to play a kicking back – but this happened just after they went down to 10 men after a green card. Unfortunately, for them they ended up with 12 men on the field which resulted in a yellow card and they were down to 10 for the remaining minutes !
Havant exploited the numerical advantage winning a late penalty corner and Toseeq secured his man of the match award by flicking the ball into the netting to make the final score 5-2.
 

Southampton ladies scored first, but later had to hit back and equalise to draw 2-2 with South Women’s League Division 3B newcomers Aldershot & Farnham.
Their positive start was rewarded with a tenth minute strike by Jenny Wagstaff, but two goals either side of half-time gave Aldershot a 2-1 advantage.  Southampton regained their composure and got back on level terms with a late Bernie Jones equaliser following a well worked move down the right.
Fareham are off the mark with a 2-1 win at bottom side Worthing.

Fareham’s brave second half fight-back at Sophia Gardens went unrewarded as Cardiff & Met, having seen a 2-0 lead wiped out, scored twice in quick succession to secure a 4-2 England Hockey West Conference victory.
They found themselves trailing to 17th and 33rd minute strikes by Cardiff pair Charles Hunt and Alf Dinnie.
But it might have been so different had Chris Davey not missed a great chance for Fareham in the opening exchanges.
Performance Director Ben Barnes reflected: "Cardiff are always a strong team at home - we needed to start well, and we did.
"Annoyingly, our early pressure came to nothing as our penalty corners were well charged-down, and 2-0 down at half time was not a fair reflection of the balance of play."
Fareham hit back with two goals of their own in a five-minute second half spell – James Evans (44) reducing the deficit before Martin Gough equalised from a Niall Stott penalty corner.
Cardiff counter-attacked effectively from their own circle, - Rhys Bradshaw and Jack Pritchard, from a short corner goalkeeper George Harris parried, scoring to give Cardiff a 4-2 win.
Fareham had Davey and James Seager yellow carded at crucial stages of the game.
Barnes added: “"The head injury to Niall Stott, a major influence in our side, also did us no favours - especially as we were winning the midfield battle at the time his injury occurred.
"The scoreline flattered Cardiff a bit, and the fourth goal put a gloss on it for them.
“We deserved more, but we move on to Cheltenham (Henry Cort, Saturday, 1.30) confident that we will bounce back and win.
The result was significant for the city side as West champions Team Bath lost 4-3 to Birmingham University’ leaving Exeter’s students top of the log.

jans ladies are top of the England Women’s League West Conference after a fourth straight win – and they’ve yet to concede a goal !
A 3-0 victory over visiting Swansea City gave Trojans a two-point lead – title favourites Stourport fluffing their lines in a goal-less draw with Gloucester City.
Third placed Reading won 2-0 at Team Bath.
Trojans got their noses in front nine minutes before half-time against Swansea – Emma Teague roofing a penalty corner conversion.
But the Stoneham girls needed to keep their shape at the back as Swansea’s forward press was effective and goalkeeper Mel Insall kept busy.
Equally, Trojans’ counter-attacks were well structured, without any addition to that 26th minute goal.
Trojans were, though, cruelly denied a penalty stroke when a Rachel Rountree shot smacked into a near post Swansea defender’s shins, out of sight of the umpire.
But Trojans superiority didn’t go unrewarded as they added two goals in the last quarter.
Teenager Imogen Lea picked up a rebound to double Trojans advantage and in the final play Phillippa Stewart got the vital touch to a reverse stick shot from outside the circle from Jenny Peebles to make it 3-0.

Colin French reckons the goal which sealed his hat-trick and clinched Trojans’ 4-1 win over Tulse Hill & Dulwich was arguably among the best he has ever scored.
It came in the second half at Stoneham Lane with Trojans 3-1 up and preparing to celebrate Mark Tubb’s first South Premier League Division 2 win as manager.
“It was a 3D dribble inside the circle, past several defenders and the Dulwich goal keeper, culminating in a lifted shot past the defender on the line,” he recalled.
French has been a prolific goalscorer in local hockey for Trojans and Winchester over a long period of time, bagging his last treble in the 5-2 win over Blackheath a the tail end of last season..
“They don’t come much better than that,” he smiled.
Trojans produced a disciplined performance against a Tulse Hill team that pushed Winchester hard for the Premier 2 title last season, but which has yet to chalk up a point from the three matches this term.
“They are historically very structured and a side we generally don’t take three points from,” French recapped.
Schoolmaster French, who had several ex-pupils lining up as team-mates, got Trojans scoring underway after a dribble and pin-point pass from the right baseline from KES debutant Jacob Faye.
His second was a back post deflection coming from a quickly taken free hit outside the circle which caught the Dulwich defence out of position.
Scott Summers added a third either side of what proved a consolation goal for Tulse Hill’s Ash Neale.
Then came French’s hat-trick stunner, which sent Trojans’ celebrations into overdrive.

Promoted Winchester suffered their first South Premier League defeat when third placed Bromley & Beckenham beat them 2-1, despite a Ben Hibberd goal.
Fareham seconds hit basement club Sunbury & Walton Heath for six to kick start their Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 1 season.
They won 6-2, with George Davey (2), Luke Gould, Fergus Jackson, Kieran Paige and Greg Cox scoring the goals.
Wimborne Wayfarers crashed 4-1 at Basingstoke.
Winchester IIs went down 3-1 at home to Farnborough & Camberley in Hampshire/Surrey Regional 2.
Ben Mullan scored twice as Romsey bagged a third successive Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 2 win, beating Andover 3-2 at John Hansen School, where Sam Barcia got the other goal.
Southampton got their first point when they shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw with Gillingham at the Sports Centre.
Hamble remain rooted to the bottom of the Hampshire League after a third defeat, 3-0 at City of Portsmouth.  Fareham III trimmed Salisbury 3-1 and the University went down 3-2 at leaders Aldershot & Farnham.  Trojans II crashed 5-1 at Yateley.

Havant scored three times in seven first half minutes to set up a first England Hockey West Conference 5-2 win over newly promoted Clifton Robinsons.
Maciej Janiszewski and Muhammad Arshad each scored twice for Havant, while Portsmouth Grammar School's Ethan Hoddle scored his maiden Conference goal.
Fareham came from 2-0 down at half-time at Sophia Gardens to peg Cardiff & Met 2-2. But strikes by Alex Boxall and Martin Gough were wiped out when Cardiff scored twice in six second half minutes to run out 4-2 winners.

Trojans ladies scored twice late on to beat Swansea City 3-0 and record a fourth straight England Women’s Hockey West Conference win.
They led at half-time through Emma Teague’s 26th minute penalty corner conversion and made the points safe through Imogen Lea and Phillipa Stewart, who got a touch to a reverse stick shot from outside the D by Jenny Peebles.
Trojans boast the only unblemished West Conference record and have so far scored 12 unanswered goals.  Pictured are goalscorers Phillipa Stewart (left), Imogen Lea (centre) and Emma Teague, right.
Women's results -
England League West Conference
Trojans 3 (Emma Teague, Phillipa Stewart, Imogen Lea) Swansea City 0.
South League Division 2
PHC Chiswick 3 Trojans II 3
Division 3
Southampton 2 Aldershot & Farnham 2, Worthing 1 Fareham 2