New Milton Town 2–5 Andover Town

If any football match can be classified as a game of two halves then this game must be high on the waiting list. During the first period the two teams could only muster one effort on target between them whilst the second produced seven goals including two penalties and having to be played in almost artic conditions. Both of Andover Town’s regular goalkeepers were unavailable so Daniel Hughes came in for his debut and his contribution was one of the many factors that ensured Andover’s fourth win of the season and their first double having won the reverse fixture in October.

Andover’s play was outstanding in the first half but without much success and well over twenty minutes elapsed before Hughes was called into real action. Josh Bertie and Shaquille Gwengwe looked the most likely to score but was Ben Emans who came nearest to giving Andover the lead.The only effort on target during the first Forty five minutes was New Milton’s Jake Garswell’s header from very close range which was brilliantly fisted away by Hughes.

Half time - New Milton Town 0-0 Andover Town

From the restart Andover were Quickly into their stride and another good effort by Bertie was just wide but that was just the lull before the storm as five goals quickly followed within a twenty five minute spell. Andover were consistently finding space behind the New Milton defence and when Shaquille Gwengwe broke clear he was upended inside the area. His subsequent spot kick was well struck and sent the goalkeeper James Mayo the wrong way. Five minutes later Shaquille Gwengwe doubled the score line, latching onto Emans precision pass and scoring with ease. Almost immediately New Milton were awarded the game’s second penalty for reasons that were not obvious but it was later suggested that some shirt pulling was involved. Whatever the reason Cooper converted the penalty to bring the Foresters back into the game. Having so far played so well Andover were in no mood to throw the game away and Josh Bertie made the point when his twenty yard volley hit the back of the net the groundwork having been prepared by George Higgins. Within four minutes the home side scored their second goal but there was a degree of freakishness about Radford’s strike. However it had the effect of reminding Andover that the match was far from over. With the confidence levels remaining high and little was getting beyond the Andover defence and what did was cleared up by Hughes. As the match approached it’s finale the wise heads amongst the travelling faithful felt that they needed one more to be sure and they were more than happy to see a brace appear. With around ten minutes left Josh Bertie fired in a screamer from all of thirty yards and with four minutes left Shaquille Gwenguwe after leaving the New Milton defence in some disarray.