Horsefair FC

15/09/2026

After winning the first two league games, Horsefair FC are now in cup action, 1st round of the Southampton cup, please come and support the lads.

13/09/2026

Horsefair 4–3 Cottage

Horsefair came through a seven-goal thriller to secure a hard-fought 4–3 victory over Cottage, producing an excellent first-half performance before having to dig deep to hold on in the second half.

Horsefair started brightly and took the lead through Adam Cooper. The centre midfielder showed great composure, cutting inside before producing a fine finish into the bottom-left corner.

Cottage responded with a stunning strike from around 20 yards, finding the top corner to bring the game level at 1–1.

Horsefair continued to threaten down the left, with Bennett doing excellent work to create the opening for Sesay, who finished well to restore the lead.

Sesay then doubled his personal tally and put Horsefair 3–1 ahead. Showing excellent strength, he shrugged off the defender before keeping his composure to slot the ball home.

Horsefair added a fourth through Lyon Davis. Davis swept the ball out to Sesay, who returned possession beautifully, allowing Davis to finish from close range and give Horsefair a 4–1 advantage.

The second half proved to be a completely different story. Cottage came out strongly and quickly reduced the deficit to 4–2 after their striker found space between the Horsefair defence and made no mistake with the finish.

Cottage then made it 4–3 from a corner, with their striker left unmarked five yards out and heading home.

Horsefair were made to work extremely hard for the remainder of the match. A scuffle in the area resulted in a penalty being awarded, but Adam Cooper saw his spot-kick strike the post, leaving Cottage with hope of completing the comeback.

With Cottage pushing hard for an equaliser in the final 10 minutes, captain Dan Collins produced a brilliant last-ditch challenge at a crucial moment to prevent what looked like a dangerous opportunity and potentially save Horsefair from conceding.

Despite the mounting pressure, Horsefair showed plenty of character and determination to withstand Cottage’s late onslaught and hold on for a valuable 4–3 victory.

Harvey Thomas and Dan Symmons deserve special mention for their tireless work in the centre of midfield, putting in a huge shift throughout the match.

Overall, it was a very good first-half performance from Horsefair, with plenty of attacking quality and some excellent goals. The second half was far from their best, but the team showed resilience when it mattered most to secure all three points.

Final score: Horsefair 4–3 Cottage
Scorers: Adam Cooper, Sesay (2), Lyon Davis

08/09/2026

06/09/2026

Woolston Wanderers 2–4 Horsefair FC

Half-time: Woolston Wanderers 0–2 Horsefair FC
Full-time: Woolston Wanderers 2–4 Horsefair FC

Horsefair FC opened their league campaign with an impressive 4–2 away victory over Woolston Wanderers.

Horsefair started brightly and were on the front foot from the opening whistle, with their positive approach rewarded after 15 minutes.

Good play down the right from Dan Collins and Sesay created the opportunity, with Sesay showing good composure to finish from close range and give Horsefair a deserved lead.

Woolston struggled to create much in the opening stages, while Horsefair continued to look the more threatening side.

The visitors doubled their advantage when Alfie Bennett picked the ball up on the left, cut inside and finished neatly from close range to make it 2–0.

Woolston made a change in goal during the first half, and although they improved towards the end of the half, creating two or three good opportunities in the final 15 minutes, they were unable to find a way through.

Half-time: Woolston Wanderers 0–2 Horsefair FC

Woolston came out strongly after the break and were the first side to register on the scoresheet in the second half. Their forward split the Horsefair defence, raced through on goal and calmly slotted the ball home to reduce the deficit to 2–1.

Horsefair responded well and restored their two-goal advantage through Sesay, who grabbed his second of the afternoon.

Substitute Judd received the ball in midfield before sweeping it out to the left. Bennett produced a first-time touch into the path of Sesay, who made no mistake with the finish to make it 3–1.

Bennett was causing plenty of problems down the left throughout the game, repeatedly finding space and looking a constant threat. On another day, he could have added further goals to his name.

Horsefair, however, made life more difficult for themselves than necessary as Woolston pulled another goal back against the run of play. There appeared to be a possible offside in the build-up, but the goal stood and the home side suddenly had renewed hope.

The hosts pushed for an equaliser, but Horsefair held firm.

Then, with just five minutes remaining, Bennett made no mistake inside the area, finishing confidently to put Horsefair 4–2 ahead and effectively seal the points.

The final whistle confirmed a 4–2 victory for Horsefair, giving the team an excellent start to their first league game of the season.

There were plenty of positives to take from the performance, with Horsefair showing attacking quality, creating opportunities and responding well whenever Woolston threatened a comeback.

A good first league win and a strong way to start the season.

⚽ Full-time

Woolston Wanderers 2–4 Horsefair FC

Horsefair scorers: Sesay ×2, Alfie Bennett ×2

04/09/2026

Fast approaching!!

Pls come and support the lads!!

27/08/2026

Pls come and support the lads!!

23/08/2026

King Somborne 5–4 Horsefair FC

Last Friendly of the Season
Kick-off: 10:30am
Half-time: King Somborne 3–2 Horsefair FC
Full-time: King Somborne 5–4 Horsefair FC

Horsefair FC rounded off their pre-season campaign with a nine-goal thriller away at King Somborne, narrowly losing 5–4 in a game that had everything — goals, missed chances, a penalty, a hat-trick, controversy and plenty of positives for Horsefair to take into the new season.

Despite the result, this was arguably Horsefair’s best performance of pre-season so far, particularly in terms of the character and determination shown after falling behind.

Somborne Start Strong

King Somborne began the game on the front foot and were the better side during the opening 15–20 minutes.

However, against the run of play, Horsefair produced the first real moment of quality. A good attacking move created the opportunity for Richard Sesay, who produced a lovely finish to put Horsefair in front.

In the middle of the park, Harvey Thomas and Dan Symmonds were putting in solid performances, working hard in the centre of midfield and helping Horsefair compete as the game settled down.

King Somborne responded by stepping up the pressure and eventually found an equaliser around the 20-minute mark with a simple tap-in.

The home side then turned the game around shortly afterwards. A superb strike from around 25 yards flew into the top corner, giving the goalkeeper little chance and putting Somborne 2–1 ahead.

Things then got worse for Horsefair when a mistake at the back from Jack Mallon allowed Somborne to take advantage and extend their lead to 3–1.

Sesay Keeps Horsefair in Touch

Despite being two goals behind, Horsefair continued to battle and created opportunities of their own.

Just before half-time, Richard Sesay was fouled inside the penalty area, giving Horsefair a huge opportunity to get back into the game.

Sesay dusted himself down, stepped up from the spot and calmly converted the penalty to make it 3–2.

That goal was particularly important because Horsefair could easily have gone into the break level — or even ahead.

The visitors had two excellent chances before half-time which they were unable to convert, meaning Somborne went into the interval with a narrow advantage.

At 3–2, though, Horsefair knew they were very much still in the game.

Horsefair Come Flying Out

The second half saw a completely different momentum.

Horsefair came out strongly and soon put King Somborne under serious pressure.

Their attacking approach was rewarded when a Somborne defender turned the ball into his own net, bringing Horsefair level at 3–3.

The visitors were now playing with confidence and began to look the more dangerous side.

And once again, Richard Sesay was at the heart of it.

Good wing play created the opening and Sesay made no mistake, slotting the ball home to complete his hat-trick and put Horsefair ahead for the first time since the opening goal.

From 3–1 down to 4–3 up, it was an excellent turnaround and showed exactly the sort of character Horsefair will need when the competitive season gets underway.

Late Drama

As the game entered its final stages, both teams began to tire and the game became increasingly stretched.

King Somborne eventually found a way back into the game with an equaliser which appeared to be clearly offside. The flag stayed down, however, and the goal stood to make it 4–4.

Horsefair continued to push, but with just five minutes remaining, another set piece proved costly.

A corner was not dealt with by the Horsefair defence and the ball fell to a Somborne player just inside the area.

He made no mistake, smashing the ball into the back of the net to put King Somborne 5–4 ahead.

Horsefair had little time left to respond and, despite trying to find one final opportunity, could not produce the equaliser.

The final whistle brought an entertaining game to an end, with King Somborne taking the win.

Plenty of Positives for Horsefair

The scoreline may say defeat, but there were plenty of positives for Horsefair to take from the performance.

To come from 3–1 down, get themselves level, and then go on to lead 4–3 showed tremendous character.

Richard Sesay’s hat-trick was the obvious individual highlight, with his finishing and attacking play causing Somborne problems throughout the game.

There were also strong performances in midfield from Harvey Thomas and Dan Symmonds, who worked hard in the centre and helped Horsefair compete throughout the match.

Defensively, there will certainly be lessons to take away, particularly from the mistakes that led to goals and the late corner which ultimately decided the game.

But overall, this was a hugely encouraging final friendly.

Bring On the Season

And that brings the curtain down on Horsefair FC’s pre-season.

The friendlies are now finished, the preparation is done, and attention turns to the games that really matter.

Horsefair FC begin their league campaign on 6 September with an away trip to Woolston Wanderers.

The game will be played at Mountbatten School on the 4G pitch.

After a promising pre-season, there is now a real sense of excitement around the squad ahead of the new campaign.

The result against King Somborne may have gone the wrong way, but the performance showed plenty of fight, quality and determination.

Best performance of pre-season so far.

Now the friendlies are finished.

Time for the real season to begin.

Come on Horsefair! ⚽💙

09/08/2026

Horsefair FC 2–6 Bedes Lea

Friendly Match Report

Horsefair suffered a 6–2 defeat to Bedes Lea in their latest pre-season friendly, but there were plenty of positives to take from the game, particularly in the second half.

Horsefair are still finding their feet with a number of new players coming into the squad, and at times it was clear that players are still getting used to each other, learning how their teammates play and building that understanding on the pitch.

First Half

Bedes Lea took the lead when their left winger found space down the left and delivered a quality ball into the box, which was met by a great header that found the bottom corner.

Bedes Lea soon doubled their advantage after a Horsefair player failed to put enough pressure on the ball. Their player was given time on the edge of the area and struck a low shot into the bottom corner.

Horsefair responded and started to create chances. Adam Cooper was brought down inside the area, giving Horsefair the opportunity to get back into the game from the penalty spot.

Adam stepped up and calmly converted to make it 2–1.

Horsefair played well in patches during the first half, but still found themselves going into the break behind.

Half-time: Horsefair 1–2 Bedes Lea

Second Half

Horsefair came out strongly after the break and were arguably the better side for long periods.

Rich Sesay was causing plenty of problems for the Bedes Lea defence and eventually won Horsefair another penalty after creating danger inside the box. Rich took responsibility from the spot himself and converted to bring Horsefair level at 2–2.

However, Horsefair are still struggling to find the back of the net from open play, something that will need to improve as the season approaches.

The difficult pitch conditions certainly didn’t help. The surface was hard and the ball was bouncing unpredictably, making it difficult for both teams to play their normal football.

Horsefair also continued to make regular substitutions, with players being changed every 10–15 minutes. While the aim was to give everyone valuable game time and experience, the constant changes understandably made it harder for the team to build any real rhythm or consistency.

After the second hydration break, Horsefair conceded two quick goals, and the final 15 minutes became difficult as the team appeared to lose some of its shape and confidence. Two further goals followed to leave the final score at 6–2 to Bedes Lea, although the scoreline probably flattered the visitors slightly given how competitive the game had been for long periods.

Plenty Still to Work On

These pre-season friendlies are exactly what they are there for — giving everyone the opportunity to play, getting new players familiar with their teammates and working out what needs improving before the competitive games begin.

There are certainly things for Horsefair to work on, particularly defending as a unit, creating more chances from open play and developing a better understanding between the players.

But there were also positive spells, especially in the second half, and plenty for the management and players to take away and work on over the next few weeks.

Horsefair still have two friendlies remaining before the league season gets underway. Next week sees Horsefair take on Solent Sports, with another friendly still to come after that.

The first league game will then arrive on 6th September, giving the squad plenty of time to continue building that understanding and get themselves ready for the competitive season.

The results in pre-season aren’t the most important thing — it’s about getting the squad together, giving players minutes, trying different combinations and ironing out the little things before the league campaign begins.