Andover Town5–2○Alresford Town

Should Andover Town emerge as Wessex League Champions in April they will look back on this result as one of the seasons most pivotal results. One of the season's best crowd of two hundred & thirty seven were at the Portway to witness an exciting and incident filled match which included the award of three penalties to Andover.

Alresford had won the two previous encounters earlier this season and for the opening twenty minutes or so it appeared they might complete the hat trick and three Andover players were shown yellow cards as they tried match the visitors promising start. Andover could have well been two goals down inside the opening ten minutes but Luke Cairney made two fine saves as Andover slowly established their presence. After Dan Kempson neatly saved Zach Glasspool’s close range header Andover opened their account just before the half hour mark. Mike Gosney’s corner led to a goalmouth scramble before Zach Glasspool fired in. Alresford remained dangerous but Andover matched them in all areas of the park and with half time a few minutes away Jason Silver’s delightful volley hit the back of the net with with Kempson well beaten.I looked a shoe inn but the referee spoke to his assistant and bizarrely cancelled the score and signalled a penalty instead.It was a strange decision and after the match it emerg Zach Glasspool eventually converted the spot kick to give Andover a two goal cushion and during the interval the incident was the sole topic as the faithful queued at the tea bar.

Half time - Andover Town 2-0 Alresford Town

Andover made the best possible start to the second half as a fine build up led to Glasspool putting Alex Dockree in and his finish was clinical. Sam Cook fired over the bar from distance whilst at the other end Cairney pushed Ben White’s thirty five yard dipping volley over the bar. Soon after Emmanuel Yeboah, on loan to Alresford from Sutton United, grabbed Alresford’s first goal before another debatable penalty came Andover’s way. and. Glasspool running into the area was was a shade late to a cross from the Andover left. After some hesitation the referee pointed to the spot indicate a foul on Glasspool. At best the decision was dubious but Mike Gosney struck the spot kick well wide of Kempson for Andover’s fourth. By now Andover’s slow start to the match was a distant memory and Liam Hibberd almost scored but his free kick hit the far post. With ten minutes left Andover's third and arguably most inexplicable penalty was awarded.After an attack had broken down play was stopped and the referee after further hesitation spoke to his assistant, the other assistant nearer to the action was not consulted,before confirming the penalty decision. Mike Gosney’s second spot kick was a mirror image of his first and meant Andover have now scored five goals or more in a league fixture six times this season. Two minutes from time Craig Harding scored a second goal for Alresford to give the final score line a degree of respectability for the visitors.