ANDY Leader has branded Fareham Town "bad losers" for accusing his BAT side of "bully-boy tactics" during last Saturday's blood and thunder battle at Southern Gardens.

The Tobaccomen took the Sydenhams Wessex spoils 1-0 courtesy of Paul West - much to the disgust of Fareham co-manager Louis Bell, who told his local Portsmouth paper: "We tried to play our football but they physically battered us. I've never seen anything like some of the challenges put in by one of their defenders (Lee Hodder), who just spent his time smashing into the back of our two forwards.

"BAT were fine dishing it out but once we started giving some of it back, they were soon up in arms squinnying."

Leader had been prepared to write it off as "tough, physical battle " rather than get into a war of words - until he heard what Bell had to say.

He retorted: "For 35 minutes we battered Fareham in terms of playing football and then I heard their bloke tell his players to leave their foot in and start winning battles.

"Our goalkeeper, Gareth Barfoot, has ended the game with one eye completely shut where a guy's slid through and kneed him in the face. And Lee Hodder's got a three-inch gash over his eye where their forward's elbowed him off the ball.

"Our chairman, Mick Geddes, is always on at me about discipline, but Lee was 100 per cent sound. It was Fareham's forward that should have gone.

He added: "They tried to kick us off the park because we were ten times better than them. If it hadn't been for poor finishing we'd have been five up at half-time. They tried to bully and intimidate us - and I've no time for sides like that. When their manager came up to shake my hand, he had the audacity to slap me round the face with his other hand. That just about summed him up!"

After an unbeaten run of nine league games stretching back to August, BAT are in great heart for tomorrow's FA Vase first round trip to Kent Premier strugglers Erith Town.

Having seen three of their number reach the quarter-final stage last year, Wessex clubs know that anything is possible but Leader said: "We all fancy a Vase run, but you can only go into games well prepared and keep your fingers crossed on the day.

"Our league form's second to none at the moment and I'm really enjoying managing such a lovely, little club. Our squad hasn't changed too much and every season we're getting a bit more disciplined and improving as a unit.

"It might be our time now, who knows? We've worked our way into the league's top ten and I've told the boys we've got to stay there because, if we don't, we're underachieving.

"Everyone's enjoying what we're doing. We go into every game full of confidence and believing we can win."