Andover Town3–0○Hythe & Dibden

As per seven days earlier Andover Town met Premier Division opposition in a Cup Competition and came out on top. This time it was Hythe and Dibden in the Hampshire Senior Cup and given Hythe’s dismal start to the season a home win was always a possibility and so it proved. But with Terry Cox back at the managerial helm this was a much-improved display by the visitors and the last goal perhaps gave an unfair final score line.

Hythe started the brighter, finding space on both flanks and causing the home defence problems with their pace with Ethan Cheshire a constant threat, The home side’s first attack saw a Ben Emans cross nearly turned in to his own net by a defender before home keeper Jordan Brooks saved a Tyler Braddock effort at full stretch. Despite Hythe’s early pressure it was the home side who opened the scoring after just twelve minutes as Emans cleverly turned a Brendan Holmes pass in to JOSH BERTIE'S path, the challenge in the area was from behind and the forward picked himself up and coolly converted the penalty. Town looked to build on the goal with two shots blocked in a goalmouth scramble and Berti denied by a last-ditch challenge. Hythe had contributed to the opening goal in conceding the penalty and also made life difficult for themselves as they conceded a second after twenty five minutes. Adopting the current vogue of playing out from the back they simply gave the ball directly to Emans and failed to deal with the resulting cross and though keeper Ollie Pike parried the shot from Holmes, JOSH BERTIE turned the loose ball over the line. Emans’s pace caused continual problems for Hythe’s right flank and Pike saved well from one effort and then blocked the follow up from Holmes. Hythe had their share of the possession but the attacks invariably ended short of the penalty are but they did create a chance in the stroke of half time with Marvin Meal being denied by Brooks in a one on one situation.

Unlike the first half it was the home side who were quicker off their marks on the restart with Bertie shaving the post and Pike leaving his area to stop Emans and when play switched to the other end Brooks confidently held a Cheshire cross in a crowded area. Andover surprisingly replaced Holmes – always at the heart of everything in midfield – though perhaps with Saturday’s Vase clash in mind. Brooks did well to keep out a shot from Justin Duminey that he saw very late and the player then removed the Flag before taking the resulting corner! The substitutes arrived in numbers and the home side rather lost their way with a Cheshire effort grazing the bar and Adam Pattison clearing off the line as the visitors tried to get back in to the game. A goal for Hythe would have made the last fifteen minutes interesting but it was Andover who ensured they would come out on top as Emans went down the left and in to the area without any real challenge, the ball went loose and TOM PATTISON beat Pike from close range. Still time for Brooks to save well from Owen Walsh and a Hythe defender to scythe the ball over his own crossbar before Andover’s place in the next round was assured.

A good win for the home side though they were far from their best in the second half and, despite the result, a heartening performance from Hythe which suggests better times are on the way. And the temperature had dropped considerably by the end - Autumn appears to be on the way out.