Home defeat for New Street (From Andover Advertiser)

Blakeman goal not enough for Street

5:24pm Friday 8th March 2013 in Sport

Andover New Street 1 Laverstock and Ford 4.

New Street failed to build on their superb victory at promotion chasing Brockenhurst when a much changed side due to injuries went down to Laverstock and Ford by four goals to one though had the home side converted a penalty after half-time the result may well have been different.

Street found themselves a goal down inside two minutes when Lewis Wykes’s cross was not cleared and Matt Cox headed home from close range.

Craig Blakeman saw a fierce drive tipped over by Ben Bressington who then had to go down at Shane Lock’s feet after Stuart Anderson had headed on a long clearance from Dave Tasker.

With Kevin Mulcahy a constant threat Laverstock went 2-0 up when his superb cross was headed powerfully past Tasker by Lewis Elder. Within two minutes New Street were back in the game when a looping header from Matt Styles was acrobatically cleared off the line only for Blakemen to jab the loose ball home.

Street strove to get back into the game and a Styles shot was blocked and a fierce effort from Blakeman struck the bar but Laverstock had the last word on the first half as Mulcahy was brought down in the area and Wykes slotted the penalty.

The second half started as the first had finished with Elder’s unchallenged header from the cross rebounding off the bar before New Street were offered a lifeline. Blakeman forced his way into the area before going down following an untidy challenge but Adam Battison put his spot kick the wrong side of the post and the chance had gone.

The visitors wrapped the game up midway through the half with a well taken goal by Cox who lifted the ball over the advancing Tasker and then rolled it into the empty net. New Street introduced Nic Oliver to the fray and the tall midfielder produced a run and cross from which Anderson’s header was just too high before Bressington held an Olly Yeates effort at full stretch but it was all too late and whilst the scoreline may have been flattering the visitors deservedly took the three points. Manager Phil Andrews will be hoping for the return of some, if not all, of the walking wounded before Saturday’s difficult trip to Petersfield.

John Gorman