Andover Town 3–2 Fleet Spurs

A match report courtesy of Clive Thundow of Fleet Spurs.

On a pleasant autumn afternoon, and for the first time this season, there was an opportunity after a Fleet Spurs game to roll out the most beloved of all football clichés. Here we go: IT WAS A GAME OF TWO HALVES. There, doesn’t that feel better? At half-time, Andover were 3-0 up and the Spurs supporters were having thoughts of six. At the end of the match, the home fans were heard to agree that ‘we got away with it there’.

The game started with neither team keeping the ball for long enough to create any chances, more because of carelessness than good closing down by the opposition. Gradually Andover began to gain some cohesion, with quick breaks down both wings and crosses into the box for their waiting strikers. Fleet meanwhile were unable to make any inroads into the home defence, mainly because their attacks foundered as too many of their attempted through balls went straight to defenders. After 10 minutes, Town skipper Brendan Holmes fastened on to an accurate pull-back from the left and crashed a shot against the crossbar from 25 yards leaving keeper Aaron Bufton helpless. Happily for the visitors, the ball rebounded clear, but their reprieve was short-lived. Eight minutes later, Town made another quick attack, this time down their right, and top scorer Josh Bertie, five yards out from goal, tapped in the resulting low cross. In the striker’s 100th game for the club, this was his 55th goal, making him the top scorer in the club’s history. Number 56 soon followed from the spot, after young Larry Briggs was adjudged to have tripped Ben Emans in the box. Twelve minutes before the interval, Michael Owen, showing his namesake’s goal-poaching skill, backheeled another right-wing cross past the helpless Bufton and into the corner of the net. Just before half-time, Spurs created their one real chance of the half when Shane Gibson made a good run down the left and crossed low, but Ryan Goddard was unable to make contact with the ball a few feet from the line.

After the break, two things happened, which were probably connected. Andover appeared to have relaxed as if their day’s work was done, whereas Spurs began to fight for every loose ball and at last to put their opponents under pressure. In the 54th minute, Bufton’s long clearance ricocheted off a couple of players and Gibson was through on goal. The striker made no mistake, curling the ball expertly round Karl Steinborn-Busse and into the net. Two minutes later, Bertie looked about to complete a hat-trick with his 57th goal, but Bufton made a spectacular save, diving to his right and turning the ball past the post. In the next minute later, what might have been 4-1 almost became 3-2. Visiting skipper Tom White crossed the ball from the left, but the unlucky Goddard could only divert the ball at full stretch against the frame of the goal. The visitors continued to dominate play, and four minutes before the end of normal time, substitute Alex Lenon made a good run down the right. He passed to White, whose low shot flew into the top of the net despite the efforts of a home defender. By now, Andover were clinging on but by a mixture of luck and desperation, they were able to maintain their lead to the end.

Both sides can learn a lesson from this game. Town must learn that a three-goal lead at half-time is no guarantee of a victory, and Spurs must play with as much spirit and determination from the beginning of the game as they did in the second half today.