Andover Town5–2○Royal Wootton Bassett

Andover Town were comfortable winners against Royal Wootton Bassett Town, as they converted 2 penalties to progress in the FA Cup as 5-2 victors. Goals from Craig Stanley and Chris Onoufriou helped the town to win their Extra Preliminary round tie. However, the visitors benefitted from defensive errors to get braces in the second half. Andover fielded a largely unchanged side from the one that narrowly lost to Sholing in their midweek league fixture. Craig Stanley started his first game of the new campaign after an impressive substitute display in the previous fixture, with Craig Blakeman also being promoted to a starting role. Adam Grange retained his role on the wing as well to give the home side a strong attacking force. Royal Wootton Bassett fielded a solid team after a close home defeat to Carterton to start their league campaign. Terence Bohane and Aliowe Diouf started up front for the away side, with Luke Sanders starting in goal. Both teams fought for, but it was Andover who scored the opener midway through the first half. Danny Urry was able to play Adam Grange in on goal with an excellent chip over the Wootton Bassett defenders, leaving the young winger to slot the ball under the goalkeeper. Andover doubled their lead ten minutes later, when a miss-kicked clearance gave the ball to Craig Blakeman, whose deflected shot beat Sanders at the near post to give the Town a commanding lead. The home sides third goal came from an exquisite cross field ball from captain Liam Gilbert, which fell perfectly to Craig Stanley on the right wing. Stanley converted the ball with a coolly taken volley from just inside the penalty area, which rebounded off the crossbar and into the back of the Wootton Bassett net.

It didn’t take long for Andover to extend their lead to 4 after the half time break after a penalty was given by referee Ndoda Dlamini, who pointed to the spot after Adam Grange was fouled by Dan Comer inside the box. The penalty taking duties were given to Chris Onoufriou, who calmly placed the ball in the bottom left corner to beat Sanders, further sinking the away side. Royal Wootton Bassett were able to score two goals to reduce the deficit to 2 as they benefitted from errors by the Andover defence. After Terence Bohane crossed the ball in to centre forward Diouf, the ball was stopped but fumbled by Andover keeper Jamie Bray, with Diouf only having to tap the ball in to an empty goalmouth. Diouf took his total for the season to 2 in similar fashion, after a mix up involving Bohane and Bray left the Bassett striker to tap the ball in once more. Andover sealed the game once and for all with another penalty late in the game, as Liam Gilbert smashed the ball in from the penalty spot to take Andover’s total to 5 after a reckless challenge from goalkeeper Sanders.