○Hedge End Rangers1–3Andover Town

On Friday evening Andover travelled down to Botley to play Hedge End Rangers under lights on a very impressive ground with a 3G pitch at The Deer Park school complex. A sizeable crowd in attendance and a warm autumn evening with perfect playing conditions. Hedge End have started the season well and are currently 4th in the table so it promised to be a good test for Town.

Town looked sharp right from the off and in the 5th minute after a great run down the left from full back Dean Smith who powered the ball into the net from 25 yards to make the score 1-0, a terrific start. Andover looked really bright in the first quarter and so was no surprise when Ryan Morgans latched onto a through ball from Malachi Johnson in the 15th minute to fire home and make the score 2-0. It was a pleasant watch for the rest of the first half and the 2-0 half time scoreline did not flatter the visitors.

The second half got underway following the same pattern as the first half with Andover dominant. A third goal followed in the 65th minute when Luke Holden gathered from Morgans and made the score 3-0. So as the half progressed Town were looking really comfortable and would need to ensure that complacency didn’t set in. Hedge Edge were by no means done at this stage Gould slid the ball home in the 79th minute through a crowded penalty area to make the score 3-1. Andover settled again and comfortably managed out the game in the last 10 minutes to make the score 3-1. This was the third successive victory and Town are now moving in the right direction, up to 6th place in the table and playing well.

The next match is away to Bishop Waltham Dynamos on Saturday September 28th kick-off 3pm. Bishop Waltham thrashed Town easily in August 6-0 so hopefully the score can be settled.