Fleet Spurs 5, Farnham Town 1

FARNHAM Town’s faint hopes of pulling off a minor miracle and finishing in top spot in their quest for promotion was finally extinguished with a 5-1 hammering at blustery Kennels Lane on Saturday.

And in a game which was full of drama and incident befitting of a game between two rivals separated by just six miles – including two red cards and a missed penalty – it was lofty Town who ended the game with exactly what they deserved – nothing.

In fact, such was the bizarre nature of proceedings in the swirling wind in Southwood that it was impossible to tell which team was fourth in the table at start of play and which team was bottom.

“It was a very dark day for me. It’s my biggest defeat, it’s against the team bottom of the league and there are no words to describe how I’m feeling now with the team. They have let me down,” said dejected Town boss Luke Turkington, whose side were looking for a fourth straight win to keep alive their slender hopes of promotion to the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League.

“Most of the time I will defend my boys to the bitter end and will take the brunt of any negative criticism, but I can’t take that one and the players have to be man enough and say it was their fault.”

Two goals from Jamil Saleh in as many minutes shortly before half-time and two more quick strikes from busy forward Ivan Nsimbi within three minutes early in the second half put the game well out of Farnham’s reach, with Nick Medcraft’s wonder strike from outside the box sandwiched in between.

And Adam Bellmaine, who was a roving threat for Fleet Spurs all game, completed the rout with a cheeky lob which deceived Town keeper Dease Kerrison and crept under the crossbar.

It could have been even worse for disjointed Farnham as Kerrison made a save low to his left on 67 minutes to keep out Jake Bellmaine’s weak penalty, awarded after returning Town centre half Sean Evans needlessly pushed Nsimbi in the back in the box.

Bellmaine’s day then went from bad to worse as he saw red on 73 minutes for a bad foul on Evans, who in turn was dismissed for a second yellow card six minutes from time.

“Ten days ago we played a team at the top of the league with a bare 11 and we won, and out of that team seven of those that started on Saturday have got absolutely thumped,” said a disappointed Turkington.

“As management we ask the question ‘is it anything we have done?’ I’m always the first person to hold my hand up if I’ve made a wrong decision, but sometimes you’ve just got to land it on the players and say it was their responsibility.

“I told the lads beforehand that this wasn’t going to be a true football pitch, it wasn’t going to be a nice tactical game, it was going to be a roll your sleeves up job, dig in and show you want it more. Unfortunately, Fleet wanted it more. Being bottom of the league you’ve got to work hard for it and they certainly did, they got what they thoroughly deserved.”

Things began ominously for the visitors as the strong wind swirled around the exposed ground in Southwood when Kylo Atkinson (work) and Sam Gillett (illness) had to be replaced in the starting line up before a ball had even been kicked in anger.

And that seemed to set the tone for the day, with Town chasing shadows as they were constantly second best to a lively Fleet Spurs side who are fighting to avoid finishing the season at the bottom.

The front three of Adam and Jake Bellmaine and Nsimbi seemed to cut through Town’s flat-footed and overstretched defence at will, while at the other end the Fleet goalkeeper was largely untroubled, except for one fine save at 4-1 when he brilliantly scooped Kye Nash’s downward header from substitute Muctaru Conteh’s corner over his own crossbar.

“The boys are pretty ashamed of their performance. I couldn’t face them, I just think it was embarrassing. We were unbelievably poor,” said an honest Turkington.

“You can see the realisation from the players that the title has gone and they are just seeing the season out.

“It was just a poor performance by us and there have been too many of those, and it’s frustrating when you can see that they have got it in them to be the best and beat the best.

“The boys have got to show me in the next six games why they should carry on playing for this club next year.”

On Saturday, Farnham Town travel to face Bedfont & Feltham at The Orchard (kick-off 3pm).

Farnham Town: Kerrison, Falvey, Verkaik, Taylor, Harper, Evans, Page, Nash, Medcraft, Peck (Conteh 53), Cardona. Subs (not used): Meaton, Sharratt.