Andover Town6–1○Bemerton Heath Harlequins

Andover Town got their league season underway with this emphatic victory against their Wiltshire neighbours. Two first half goals brought them a narrow half time lead but four more in a thirty minute second half spell delighted the 150 plus crowd. New signings Mike Gosney and Adam Pearson were handed debuts whilst Jason Silver made his coming off the bench in the second half to score the games best goal.

From the start Bremerton were the stronger side and could well have scored three inside the opening ten minutes. That they did not do so was due mainly to some acrobatic goalkeeping by Lloyd Thomas. Gradually Andover Town got the measure of their opponents and on the half hour Zach Glasspool scored the all important first goal which owed much to Gosney’s superb cross. The Bemerton reply was positive and they quickly found an equaliser when Russell Jones placed a low shot beyond the reach of Thomas. Almost immediately Jones thought he had scored again but another fine save by Thomas denied him. Just before the half time whistle Reece Rusher carved his way into the box and fired in just inside the post.

HALF TIME - Andover Town 2-1 Bemerton Heath Harlequins

Whatever Glenn Burnett said to the team during certainly did the trick. Within three minutes of the restart Zach Glasspool scored Andover's third with the assist again supplied by Mike Gosney. Little was being seen of Bemerton as an attacking force. Mike Gosney scored the fourth goal from the edge of the area after sending the two covering defenders into the next postcode. The fifth goal arrived after a cross dropped into the area and as the Bemerton goalkeeper Watch got into a tangle with his defence and Luke Dempsey was left with a simple tap in. Despite the four goal advantage Andover kept the pressure up and with ten minutes left, Jason Silver who shortly before had replaced Gosney, found time and space thirty yards out and hit a volley that goalkeeper Watch, could only admire as the ball flew into the net.

This result equalled best in the Wessex Premier on the day. However there is a long way to go but this was a very encouraging and positive start.