Laverstock and Ford 0 Andover Town 3.

With Team Solent, Petersfield Town and Pewsey Vale all scoring five in league victories on Saturday, it was left to Andover Town to keep their end up and they did so with a straight forward win at a chilly Laverstock and Ford.

Two goals from the returning Michael Dixon and a curler from Lloyd Foot were more than enough to beat a home side who offered plenty of energy but rarely troubled Jake Wellesley-Davies in the Town goal.

Boss Neil Benson went with Tom Riddell alongside Dixon with Lewis Benson back after suspension in a midfield which dominated much of the game.

Town made their usual strong start and Foot was unlucky when his effort from a Claudio Herbert cross hit the base of the post with keeper Will Cranmer beaten inside four minutes.

Foot was showing more and more just nehind the front two and on 20 minutes he was again in the mix as Dixon’s 20 yard strike gave Town the lead.

Four minutes later it was 2-0 as Herbert worked his way in from the left to set up Foot for a 20 yarder which gave the healthy contingent of away supporters breathing space.

James Clifton brought a fine save out of Wellesley-Davies almost from the restart but Town were hungry for goals and Benson and Ope Aromona combined to set up Riddell who was inches wide from 20 yards out.

Alex Dockree then brought a superb fingertip save from Cranmer before Joe Spratt’s header from a free-kick for Laverstock and a long range effort from former Lion Elliott Wykes brought the half to a finish.

Foot and Dixon both opened the half with close efforts but they had to wait only ten minutes before Herbert again worked the ball to Dixon who hammered it home from the corner of the penalty area to effectively kill off the game.

Substitute Danny Field was in the right place to head a Phil Morgan effort off the line but the second half petered out, enlivened late on by another Foot free-kick, again well saved by the hard-working Cranmer.

Andover Town U18 5 Salisbury City U18 0.

Town’s U18 side stay six points clear at the top of the SW Counties League after their 5-0 victory over ten man Salisbury City.

Surprisingly City arrived with just ten players and two staff and were made to pay as Josh Bertie netted with what is quickly becoming a trade mark free-kick inside four minutes, Tommy Wright and David Jerrard then combined to set up Oli Bailey with the second and Wright could even afford to miss a penalty on the half hour after he had been flattened.

It mattered little as Bailey’s skills brought him the third on 35 minutes and City were staring at a big defeat.

To their credit they continued to battle despite being camped in and around their own area for most of the second half. Bertie volleyed home a fine fourth just after the restart and Wright made it five soon after but from there on it was damage limitation.

Aware of three more important matches in the next seven days for the bulk of that squad in Conference Youth, ESFA National Trophy and SW Counties games, Benson rang a few changes but City keeper Mark Blake and the rest of the away defence held out.

More from Andover Town here later and in Friday's Advertiser