BOSS Carl Poore hopes his youthful Verwood Town team can keep him looking fresh-faced after successfully shutting out Fareham in the FA Vase.

Potters progressed to today’s second-round draw with a 2-0 victory courtesy of Carl Foster’s swift turn and shot and Jordan Fisk’s delightful lob during the opening half an hour.

From there, Verwood repelled an aerial bombardment from their Wessex Premier rivals to pocket a useful £900 prize pot.

And having shipped some 49 goals – including 15 in four cup matches – this season, Poore, one of the league’s youngest managers at 31, could not hide his delight at securing a rare clean sheet.

“It was probably as well as we have played all season,” he said.

“They were very direct but (goalkeeper) Chris Lynch was superb and we saw the benefit of being able to name the same back four in consecutive matches for the first time in quite a while.

“It was a typical cup tie and they threw everything at us but we defended from the front.”

On his side’s open style, Poore continued: “You certainly get your money’s worth watching us! We look a threat every time we go forward and should probably have scored more goals than we have.

“At the other end it has been frustrating. We have done so well for long periods in games before conceding from individual errors that we really need to cut out.

“I have lost my rag a few times because a lot of the goals have been down to negligence on our part. Watching players get punished for over-playing on the edge of their own 18-yard box is so difficult to take.

“But against Fareham the penny seemed to drop and it all came together. I was so proud of the players and it was a relief to get through, not just because we won but the manner in which we did it.

“We haven’t kept many clean sheets so it was nice. It was a big morale booster for the boys and they have now set the standard.”

Potters: Lynch, Evans, Buck, Gajic, McGilchrist, Dyer (Murray, 83), Rutten, Whelan, Fisk (Cousins, 80), Groves, Foster (Read, 83). Unused subs: Collins, Anderton.

  • Ringwood Town’s FA Vase journey came to an end with a 3-1 defeat against Wessex One rivals US Portsmouth.

A moment of confusion at the back gifted the visitors their first before Brad Aspin’s 20-yard drive flew in off the post to level matters for Ringwood on 29 minutes.

But Portsmouth went back in front within three minutes and sealed their progress with a late strike to secure a deserved victory.

Ringwood: A Morgan, Hardy (Finlay), R Osman, K Osman, Barber, Johnston, Leadbetter, Saunders, Peck (Parnell), Aspin, H Morgan (Cummings). Unused subs: Carkeet, Iles.