Andover Town0–4○Hythe & Dibden

This afternoon Andover Town faltered in their battle against, firstly a Hythe & Dibden team who demonstrated why they are in a promotion position, and secondly the wild March weather in North Hampshire. Even though there was no lack of effort from the home side, especially from the midfielder Matt Devereux, the visitors had a much better handle on the blustery conditions and did not appear to suffer from a lack of precession on the passes which mattered.

Hythe & Dibden were quick to their stride and even before their first goal Mark Keogh had needed to clear from an early free kick and Josh Bertie had saved a ball off the line. Hythe & Dibden’s first goal was borne from a a midfield battle against the gusting wind which ended with a pass looking like it was going out, but Sam Woodward brought it back and Kane Prentice put it in the back of the net for a very early lead. The first half saw Andover fighting the wind to get the ball across the halfway line as even the most forceful of kick towards Ellis Grant’s goal hovered above the ground and seemed to back track and land nicely for a Hythe & Dibden attack. It was clear that any chance Andover would have needed to come from ground level to prevent redirection by the weather. Ben Emans had the first chance but Grant took the ball confidently at his feet. Emans was to have the next chance too as a cross from Owen Trapnell fund him with adequate space. The shot had the right speed and length but was just too high. Hythe and Dibden were extremely proficient at breaks from midfield. Andover were constantly struggling to clear the ball each time. Devereux’s work rate was to be applauded as he was the frequent recipient of a pass meant for further up the field. Both Shaquille Gwengwe and Bertie were sent chasing on a number of occasions for a ball which barely reached the back of defence. Andover thwarted one attempt when a free kick, taken by Woodward, hit the wall and finally came to Jo Tessem who by then had put himself in an off side position. As the game saw the close of the first half hour Hythe & Dibden put together an exquisite move by Julian Stahler and Woodward which highlighted their co-ordination and special awareness, fortunately it also drew out an equally remarkable save from Dave Tasker. Very soon afterwards Gwengwe was brought down on the edge of the penalty box as the away-side could see he was goal bound. A clever, weather beating, shot by George Higgins was glued to the ground as it took a deflection and provided challenge to Grant. However Hythe and Dibden didnt waste any time and nearly got their second as a result of the restart from the Higgins free kick. Then it appeared they had got the ball over the line but Prentice had fouled Tasker in a mid-air tackle. Emans provided another shot on target which was blocked by Grant and must have hurt as it was hit with all the force of someone trying to overcome the difficult conditions. However immediately afterwards Hythe & Dibden were on the break again and a wind assisted shot gave them their second from Woodward. Just before half time Dean Smith teased the crowd with a pass which cruised across the penalty area through lots of space filled with neither forwards nor defenders.

Half time Andover Town 0-2 Hythe & Dibden

The second half promised to be better for Andover as they would be running with the wind. However it was the away-side who seemed to adapt much better to the change of end and it wasn’t long before they had scored again. This time a first attempt was well saved by Tasker but no-one manage to clear and Prentice finished the manoeuvre with his second. Andover had their chances but each time they lacked either the accuracy of a final pass or the precision of positional play. Hythe and Dibden’s fourth did not come from a break but from a penalty area exchange of passes which ended with the ball just sneaking in between the goal post and Tasker. Woodward had scored his second. The last fifteen minutes of the game were probably most frustrating for Woodward who could have scored on at least three more occasions. Each time his final shot was either wide, high or stopped by Tasker. As the game entered added time Bertie was to have his final chance which hit a well placed defender and substitute William Green teamed up with Gwengwe for a a couple of last minute thrills. Hythe & Dibden simply coped with the difficult conditions better than Andover. This was to be expected as their position in the table clearly indicates they are a more experienced side. This was not a game Andover would have expected to win, however with their recent form, they may have hoped for a closer game. The fans should have nothing to complain though as their team battled to the end and are now playing in such a way which gives them hope in these matches with the teams in the league’s top slots. Whereas at the beginning of the season this was not the case.