Dramatic finale for Fareham play-off hope

George Davey, Fareham's match winner [Neil Marshall]

Fareham pulled off a crucial 2-1 win at Bristol University to keep their hopes of a seventh-place Western Conference play-off place alive.
The result means that Fareham have inched above the Bristol students in the log by virtue of a better goal difference – but their eventual final place will hinge on the outcome of Sunday’s last round of matches when high riding Oxford Hawks come to Henry Cort and Bristol go to Birmingham University.
Basically, Fareham must ‘better’ Bristol’s result in the Midlands, but Ed Ellis’s Hawks team is buzzing after scoring 18 goals in its last three straight wins !
Fareham came from behind to win at Coombe Down – Luke Crocker firing the students ahead a minute before the half-time break.
Within a minute of the restart Fareham were level with Niall Stott converting a penalty corner.  George Davey’s second in the 55th minute proved a winner.
Fareham head coach Ben Barnes said: “I was really pleased with how we held our nerve and slowly but surely ground them down second half and won.
“Real character and discipline was demanded before the game and the lads delivered. “John Price had really good game at the back, Niall Stott and Alex Boxall showed their experience as well to keep the game at our tempo for the last ten minutes.”
Bristol withdrew their goalkeeper and played with a kicking back for the last five minutes and within Stott yellow carded Fareham had to do some serious defending and protected the circle well.
“We had three really good chances to go 3-1 up and kill the game, but failed to take those opportunities which would have settled the nerves,” Barnes added.
* Scotsman Christian McKenna notched a hat-trick as Fareham second won 4-1 at Barnes in Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 1.

---