Andover Town2–1○Folland Sports

Amazingly a Saturday afternoon with no frost and no waterlogging and the first football at Portway for several weeks. Folland Sports were the visitors and like Town sit just outside the play off places so another stiff challenge surely lay ahead. There have been many epic struggles with Follands over the years and Town would doubtless still be reflecting on the last minute equalizer back in April which gave Follands a play off place and denied the opportunity for Town to bid for promotion to the Premier League. Town welcomed back Corey Taylor Kelly in defence and kicked off on a dark and dismal January afternoon and pretty soon the players often found themselves slipping around no doubt because there were still icy patches in shaded areas of the pitch.

The game took quite a long time to develop into any kind of pattern and the first real action didn’t come until the 12th minute when David Jerrard controlled well, slid the ball into the path of Ben Emans whose hard low cross shot skimmed across the face of goal and just past the right upright. But a couple of minutes later Andover went ahead somewhat fortuitously when a shot from Emans was deflected into the net giving opposition keeper Taylor no chance, so 1-0 after the first quarter. After the goal there were several niggly challenges from both sides which resulted in a lot of shoving and pushing which the referee did well to control with a couple of bookings. Follands were getting more into the game as the half progressed but with no real chances to score. Town almost scored a second when a pin point cross from Ben Emans found Malachi Johnson who rose to make good contact and fire his header just wide. The first half ended with neither side really looking like scoring and 0-0 at half time would have been a more accurate reflection of play. Sadly keeper Steinborn-Busse sustained what looked like a serious leg injury just before half time which would hopefully be attended to during the break.

Not surprisingly Steinborn-Busse was unable to continue in the second half which resulted in a major defensive reshuffle. Owen Trapnell donned the keeper’s gloves, J J Tucker came on as substitute to play left centre back and Town went 3 at the back with Taylor-Kelly, Kimron Quashie and Tucker. Again the half progressed with little real action until the 58th minute when the game exploded into action with a totally unexpected rush of blood from Follands number 3 which saw him deliberately stamp on Zach Hines in the penalty area, a huge melee ensued, both linesman rushed onto the pitch to assist the referee and after a long deliberation the red card was produced for Long. So Town now had 30 minutes left to make the extra man count. They did just that in the 74th minute when a right wing cross from Holmes was met at the far post by Jerrard who comfortably slid the ball home. At this stage a 3rd goal looked very likely with Andover in control so it was a real surprise in the 84th minute when in a rare foray by Follands into the penalty area the striker was unceremoniously unended which was a definite penalty. Up stepped Clark who coolly converted to make the last ten minutes extremely nervy for Town but they held on to finish with a 2-1 victory. It should have been a much more convincing result but in the well worn cliché a win is a win.

So it was excellent to get back into action with a win after all the recent travails with the weather. Let’s hope that the second half of the season pushes Town up the table towards a play off place. The next match is on Tuesday January 31st at Portway kick off 7.45 pm against Premier Division Hamble Club in the much postponed 3rd round Wessex League cup. Then on Saturday February 4th there is an away league fixture at 3pm at Totton & Eling.