Andover Town 7 Laverstock and Ford 0.

Andover Town warmed up nicely for Saturday’s top of the table showdown with Petersfield Town by thrashing Laverstock and Ford at the Portway on Saturday.

It was their 14th consecutive victory and sets them up for the visit to Love Lane where the home side, looking for a Division One, League Cup and Pompey Senior Cup treble, are unbeaten and six points behind Town with three games in hand.

Neil Benson’s side went through the gears in the second half notching six goals to add to the solitary Michael Dixon strike in the first half which prompted Benson to say: “The second half performance from my team was the most satisfying of the season and the football we played was top drawer.”

For once the award of the Team of the Month for February did not come as a poisoned chalice as the goals tally brought them in line with Petersfield who, up to Monday, had conceded one less.

The visitors deserved credit for plugging away but had no answer to Town’s superior passing game and once they clicked into gear the result was inevitable.

Just before the half hour Dixon’s low shot from the edge of the area put his side in front but Laverstock keeper Stephen Butler then denied Dixon and Alex Dockree with fine saves before the break.

From the restart desperate defence kept out Claudio Herbert but moments later Dixon laid off an inch perfect pass to Llyd Foot and his strike was still going up when it hit the back of Butler’s net.

From then on it was a case of how many as Lewis Benson replaced Herbert and scored the third with his second touch after good work from Gunner Yates and Dixon.

Chinedu Vine was introduced on the hour as Benson looked to protect some his players with Petersfield in mind and Benson then become the provider, setting up Foot again whose fine lob from the edge of the area was his 18th goal of the season.

Three goals in the last ten minutes was cruel on the visitors as Benson weaved through a tiring defence to roll in the fifth then Dockree’s half volley into the top of the net from 30 yards had the crowd purring and is another contender for goal of the season.

The icing on a very sweet cake came in injury time when Cameron Hough made it 7-0.

Team: Michael Weatherall, Lewis Alderman, Ope Aromona, Jordon O’Donnell, Lloyd Foot, Ryan Inskip, Claudio Herbert, Cameron Hough, Michael Dixon, Alex Dockree, Oli Yates, Used subs: Lewis Benson, Danny Field, Chinadu Vine.

Neil Benson was looking forward to tomorrow’s clash saying: “It should be a great advert for Wessex League football and we hope as many Town supporters as possible make the journey down to Petersfield.”

There is a mini bus going from the Portway and anyone interested in travelling should contact the club.