9:49am Wednesday 25th November 2009
Lions 0 Bridgwater Town 1.
After their midweek cup exertions against Farnborough, Andover returned to league action with the visit of Bridgwater Town who have had the best of recent meetings.
That pattern continued as the Somerset side took all three points courtesy of the only goal of the game 20 minutes from time. The injury and unavailability problems continued with Adam Gatcum failing a pre-match fitness test, and with Sean Cook on the bench after a four match absence Phil Andrews led the line while there was a full debut in midfield for Jamie Massey.
Andrews was involved in the first incident of note, sliding into Ben Kirk and collecting a caution, before Nat Pepperell, often the scourge of the Lions in the past, was wide after finding space on the right flank. Daryl Charman just failed to make contact with a neat Andrews’ flick then Robbie Sadler was shown the yellow card. Lions came closest to opening the scoring when keeper Tommy Manley did well to beat away Bobby Swayne’s free-kick which he must have seen very late.
Visiting midfielder Matt Beadle was next in the book and Charman, gaining confidence with every game, carried the ball a long way forward before being halted on the edge of the area.
Andover replaced Massey with Callum Nicholl on the restart and with the rain teeming down Manley turned an effort from Langfrey round the post after neat work by Andrews and when visiting skipper Chris Young pulled the ball back from the byeline at the other end Swayne cleared Beadle’s effort off the line before Tasker hung on to a snap shot from Young.
Sadler's run down the right ended with the cross being blocked before the visitors took the lead after 69 minutes. They made ground down the left touchline and when full- back Jamie Laird crossed to the far post Pepperell out jumped everybody to power a header past Tasker. Manley saved well from Charman and just beat Cook to a superb through ball from Tom Melledew as the Lions tried for an equaliser before Bridgwater reminded everybody of their presence with both Pepperell and Graham Merceica wide from distance. In a game where both defences had been largely on top the last chance fell to Cook's first time volley at the far post from Sadler’s cross which was too high and the visitors took the spoils.
Manager Andy Leader felt his reshuffled side had done well against what he thought was the best side he had seen this season but scoring goals is currently something of a problem and with three away games now following something hopefully they can put to right.
Tasker, Sangha, Bobby Swayne, Burch, Langfrey, Melledew, Sadler, Massey, Joryeff, Andrews, Charman.
Subs: Keogh, Smith, Nicholl, Cook.
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