Practice made perfect for teenager Jamie Rawlings, who was Fareham’s rare home match winner in the NOW: Pensions Western Conference victory over promoted Barford Tigers.

Fareham failed to win on their Henry Cort surface last season, but Rawlings banished the home hoodoo with a second half penalty corner conversion which produced a 3-2 win over the Midlanders.

“I’m really pleased for Jamie. He has been flicking corners in training with good pace and accuracy so it was great to see him score. It will give him a real confidence boost,” praised Fareham head coach Ben Barnes.

Having just escaped relegation in a dramatic finale last season, Fareham were desperate to get off to a winning start against last year’s Midlands champions.

Twice in the first half they took the lead, only to see Barford draw level.

“It was not a perfect performance, but I could not fault our energy and how hard we ran for the full 70 minutes,” Barnes added.

Despite being without talismanic midfielder James Seager and former Exeter University hit-man Josh Godfrey, Fareham began strongly, wasting two short corners through poor routines in the opening minutes.

But, just as the Tigers began to claw their way into the game, Fareham snatched the lead – Danny Rawlings dispossessing a defender and setting up Ben Hibberd to score.

Fareham’s lead lasted only four minutes, with Mandeep Jopal equalising.

Gurmukhi Bhamra, a summer signing from relegated Havant, almost restored Fareham’s lead with a reverse stick shot.

But Fareham were back in front after 22 minutes.

Luke Cornish was the architect, his close control and perfect pass to Hibberd opened up the defence and presented Danny Rawlings with a second goal.

But the confidence Fareham gained from regaining the lead was soon etched away as seven minutes before half-time Nevraj Degun picked up a rebound off the pads of keeper George Harris to level again.

Fareham repelled two penalty corners before half-time, but re-emerged to have the Western Conference new boys on the ropes as both Bhamra and Jamie Rawlings went close from short corners.

Twenty-minutes into the second period Fareham got their winner – a slick penalty corner routine culminating with Jamie Rawlings scoring his first senior goal in Fareham colours since his switch from Winchester.

“ We could have killed the game off at 3-2 when we wasted three really good chances as Barford pushed men forward. We must be more clinical,” Barnes said.

Fareham face a potentially far more difficult test when they visit Team Bath on Sunday (1pm).

Former player/coach Shaun Baker will be in the Buccaneers line-up, alongside former Havant hit-man Tim Davenport.