Team Solent 1–3 Andover Town

Andover Town maintained their promising start to the season with this hard fought victory at Test Park on Monday Evening. The result left the home side still searching for their first points of the season whilst Andover went to the top of the league albeit for at least twenty four hours until the other midweek games were completed on Tuesday. Andover made just one change to the side which beat Sholing with Adam Pearson replacing Mcaulie Stubbs.

Andover made a good start scoring twice inside the opening twenty minutes. Soon after Jason Silver had hit the bar Liam Gilbert timed his run into the area perfectly to head in an equally perfect cross from Reece Rusher. Four minutes later Andover were awarded a penalty after Glasspool was brought down. Zach Glasspool hit the spot kick hard and high and goalkeeper Scott O’Rourke could only punch the ball into the air. Glasspool challenged the keeper for the rebound and the ball was forced over the line. Team Solent worked their way back into the game and obtained a lifeline on the half hour mark as Giovannio Landu pulled a goal back from close range, as the interval approached. Then twice Shane Lock went close as did Jason Silver whilst Conner Cocklin saw yellow for disputing a decision by the Referee.

HALF TIME Team Solent 1-2 Andover Town

Glasspool did not return for the second half and was replaced by Aaron Nesbeth who went to play on the left with Silver moving to the middle. For the majority of the second period Andover were much the dominant side and only a superb performance by O’Rourke in the home goal kept his side in the game. He managed to keep out good efforts from Gilbert, Silver and Rusher. Cocklin had his chance cleared off the line and, Andover’s man of the match, Gilbert,neatly set up by Rusher hit a post with the goalkeeper beaten. However it was not all one-way traffic as Solent’s Jamie Wiseman became the third player to hit a post and Jamie Willis-Dellimore blazed over the bar when it looked much easier to score. Andover really needed a goal to put the match beyond reach and it finally arrived with fourteen minutes left. Nesbeth did well to feed Liam Gilbert on the edge of the area and the captain curled his shot beyond O’Rorke and just inside the far post. With ten minutes left Cocklin was shown a second yellow and duly sent off. It appeared to be a harsh decision and the Referee’s body language seemed to suggest that his decision was influenced from the Team Solent dugout.

FULL TIME Team Solent 1-3 Andover Town

If in preparation for the F.A. Cup tie Wimborne sent an observer to this match they would have had much to ponder on the return journey.