Andover Town4–2○Folland Sports

Andover Town took a break from their League Campaign with the visit of Folland Sports in the First Round of the Hampshire Senior Cup at the Portway on Tuesday evening. Follands are, like Town, in Division One of the Wessex League and have commenced the season with four consecutive victories giving them twelve points out of twelve.

The home side started the brighter with a Josh Bertie shot blocked and crosses from Ben Emans and Tom Pattison causing difficulty for the visiting defence before a good advantage played by the referee allowed Emans to make ground on the left, but there were no takers in the middle for the cross. Follands first attack of note should have seen them take the lead when Jamie Craven broke through only for home keeper Jack Hopwood to push the ball round the post. A good save but also a chance missed. However, the next attack, after twelve minutes, was successful as Clayd Roach cleverly controlled a ball on the right and his low cross was side footed home by Joe Southerden. A neat three man move made space for another Pattison cross but again there were no blue shirts on the box before just four minutes after going in front Follands had a golden chance to double their advantage. The pace of their front runners was causing difficulties for the home defence and when Southerden broke clear, the tackle was from behind and there were few arguments over the penalty award. Southerden picked himself up and drove the spot kick to Hopgood’s right but the keeper guessed correctly and plunged to turn the ball to safety, the second game in a row that he has saved a penalty. Tom Pattison saw a header saved and Emans was too high before Town levelled the scores on the half hour mark. Emans again broke down the left, pulled the ball back from the byeline and MICHAEL OWEN fired across the keeper and low in to the bottom corner of the net. Both sides conjured further chances but halftime came with the scores still level.

As in the first half the home side started the stronger but again it was Follands who scored first with the half only four minutes old and there was a touch of fortune about the goal. Fabio Manuel hoisted the ball in from somewhere near the corner flag and it cleared everybody, including the goalkeeper, and landed inside the far post. The visiting attack had lost its potency from the opening half and Town gradually gained the advantage and a plausible shout for a penalty when Emans went down was denied with, in fairness, the referee very well placed. The usual procession of second half substitutes began and a change for Andover just after the halfway point almost instantly bore fruit with the introduction of LUKE ADAMS as he battled his way through two challenges and beat keeper Hixon from the edge of the area. Then followed a couple of minutes the game could have done without. There was a bad challenge by a Follands player close to the dugouts, players on both sides reacted – including sadly the visiting substitutes - before common sense and the referee cooled things down. After discussion with his Assistant the referee showed a red card to James Johnson for the challenge and to Andover’s Musai Stamburi - presumably for his part in the fracas – and a further yellow card apiece to both sides. Berti was just wide from an Emans cross before the home side’s second half domination saw them take the lead for the first time with ten minutes left. The ball was delivered diagonally into the area from the left and LUKE ADAMS got across his marker to head home with the keeper in no mans land having started to come for the cross, With stoppage time approaching Town made the game safe with a fourth goal. A quickly taken free kick by Owen Trapnell caught the visiting defence on their heels and JOSH BERTIE, unchallenged, slotted the ball past, or through, the advancing keeper to ensure it was Andover who went through to the Second Round.

Overall, it was a fair result to an enjoyable game that was marred by a couple minutes of foolishness in the second half. Follands showed in the opening forty five minutes why they have made a good start to the season but lost their way after the break and will no doubt be rueing the penalty miss. Town did it the hard way, coming twice from behind, and will now entertain Premier Division Hythe and Dibden in the next round.

Andoveer Town and Follands meet again at the Portway on Saturday in the League!