○New Milton Town3–1Andover Town

Andover Town were at the South Coast this afternoon to play New Milton Town who have been totally transformed in the last few weeks. With a significant number of new players they are rocketing up the league from a position a month ago where they were odds on favourite to finish bottom of the table by a country mile. Their change in fortune has totally wrecked Andover’s chances of avoiding relegation and we can only look on enviously about what has happened at New Milton and what could have happened to us with that kind of change in personnel.

Both teams started energetically at a frenetic pace and seemed pretty evenly matched. New Milton almost opened the scoring as early as the 5th minute when a break from the right wing by number 11 Barney Stone ended in a shot which just skimmed the far post. But Andover came more and more into the game as the half progressed and in the 20th minute won 3 corners in quick succession, sadly none resulted in a chance. Town were then looking more threatening until in the 33rd minute Andover’s attacking left back Mohammed Faye went down with what looked a serious leg injury and sadly he had to leave the pitch and be substituted by number 12 Ousam Touray. It looked very much like the first half would finish goalless which is what Andover deserved after a very encouraging first half display. But calamity struck in the 46th minute when a disastrous attempt by keeper Lewis Hoy to play the ball out from the back presented it on a plate to number 7 Connor Ford who slid the ball into an empty net to score. How unfortunate that the half should end on that note. Half time score New Milton 1 Andover 0.

The second half started in much the same vein as the first with both teams playing well and creating chances at both ends. In the 57th minute Dan Hargood almost scored with a fierce long range shot which was hurriedly pushed round the post by keeper James. But in the 60th minute the dangerous number 7 Connor Ford added New Milton’s second when he broke through the Andover defence and scored relatively easily to make the score 2-0. This seemed to knock the stuffing out of Town and the situation worsened when in the 70th minute Brad Snelling broke through into the penalty area and fired home to make the score 3-0 to the hosts and effectively end the contest. Then New Milton managed the game carefully without Andover really threatening at any stage until in the 87th minute Malachi Johnson scored late consolation goal for town to make the final score New Milton 3 Andover Town 1

The scoreline did not in fact accurately reflect the balance of play. For long periods Andover held their own and fashioned some chances. But the game ended with yet another chastening defeat. The next match is on Tuesday March 26th at Portway when the visitors are Fawley AFC kick-off 7.45pm.