Andover Town2–2○Brockenhurst

Andover Town were unable to take all 3 points from their league game against Brockenhurst, as a late penalty left honours even for the two sides. Goals for Adam Grange and Shane Lock weren’t enough to take the win at the Portway, as Mark Baker netted twice to put the score at 2-2.

Glenn Burnett looked to build on league wins against Amesbury and Lymington in previous games, as Rudi Plummer started in the striker’s position, with Adam Grange and Shane Lock playing on the wing. A late change to the starting team gave McCaulie Stubbs a place in the first team, replacing Ross Gregory who was suffering from a groin injury. Brockenhurst looked for more points from the game having played to draws against Cowes and Verwood recently, as Mark Baker started on the wing, with Jamie Chilcott at centre forward. Callum Williams started in midfield, with Goalkeeper Callum Maher marshalling the defence. The away side had the first real chance of the game, as Ronan Moore played the ball in off the left wing, with Jamie Bray being forced to tip the ball against the crossbar, and Town did well not to concede from the resulting play, stopping Matthew Casey from putting the ball in on the half volley. Brockenhurst almost took the lead towards the end of the half, as Baker’s great shot from the left wing was tapped in by Ryan Long from short range, only for the linesman to rule it out for offside. It was Shane Lock who got the breakthrough shortly before the break for Andover, as Grange’s excellent run down the left hand side of the pitch, and his cross was latched on to by the right winger, who rifled the ball in from 6 yards. Andover doubled their lead shortly after the break when a low shot by Lerone Plummer rolled past the Brockenhurst defenders, and trickled into the bottom corner to put Town 2-0 up. It wasn’t long before Brockenhurst pulled a goal back to reduce the defecit, as Baker got his first of the game to make the score 2-1. The winger played the ball past his marker, before rounding the onrushing keeper Bray and slotting the ball into the opposite corner. Brockenhurst were able to equalise in the dying minutes of the game after they converted a contentious penalty to complete the away sides second half comeback. Matthew Casey was felled just inside the box by Town centre back Luke Dempsey, with the referee pointing to the spot with 5 minutes to spare. It was left to Baker to take the kick, and he didn’t fail as he blasted the ball into the top right corner to level the score line. Town look to continue their form going into the week, as they face a trip to the Isle of Wight to face Newport on Saturday, before they take on Horndean midweek, having taken 7 points from a possible 9 in their last 3 League games. (Patrick Barlow)