Fourth-placed Fareham are enjoying their best season yet in NOW: Pensions Western Conference hockey.

But there’s still some distance between them and the university sides dominating at the top of the table.

Table topping Team Bath Buccaneers underlined that when they beat them 4-0 at rain-lashed Henry Cort - the university-based side emphatically ending Fareham’s four-match unbeaten spell either side of the New Year break.

Either Bath or Cardiff & Met, who visit Henry Cort this Sunday (1.30), will win top the Western Conference – no surprise bearing in mind they attract top young talent on sports degree courses.

But Fareham look set the finish as the highest ‘club’ side in the WC, which would be no mean achievement.

Although they finished well beaten, Fareham certainly had their chances to score against Bath as the rain swept down on umbrella clad crowd.

Daniel Sampey surge down the right wasn’t converted – TBB were all at sea in the elements – and then in consecutive attacks Jon Potts fired wide from ten metres and Sampey was denied by a brilliant reflex save by the Havant-raised Tom Skinner.

In between times Team Bath, currently three points ahead of Cardiff with four to play, took their first chance when Liam Sandford picked up a loose ball from a penalty corner save.

Fareham’s George Harris and Skinner each pulled off some superb saves as a high intensity game flowed in the rain – but the Fareham minder could do little to prevent Bath doubling their lead through Andrew Eversden from a well worked corner, the first set piece of the game.

Fareham won their first short corner on the stroke of half-time, but while they fluffed their lines Bath didn’t soon after the break – Eugnene Malthouse picking up the pieces after Harris had done his bit.

The Western Conference’s top gun Tim Davenport had the final say, bagging his 20th goal of the campaign on the hour mark.

Fareham head coach Ben Barnes had no complaints.

“The best side won,” he admitted.

“Bath played at a higher pace and intensity than we did.

“We created four clear chances in the first half and did not manage to take one of them which you can’t afford to do against a side like them.

“In the second half we faded and were not able to retain possession when we had the ball. ‘’