ANDOVER Town left it till late to book their spot in the third round of the Wessex League Cup.

Manager Neil Benson made just one change to the side which drew with Brockenhurst a week before, with Oliver Yates moving to the bench, replaced by Claudio Herbert, writes Patrick Barlow.

Lymington settled into the game first, with striker Immanuel Soetan bringing a comfortable save from Andover keeper Jake Wellesley-David.

Town gradually started to test the Lymington defence as Nico Williams, the third member of the Sparsholt College Academy programme to make his full debut for the Senior side, ran past defender Ed Stacey before shooting wide. Danny Urry then had a chance from a Matt Scott long ball over the defence halted by a marginal offside.

The game quietened until the half hour when an Aqwasi Nyarko-Marfo freekick was punched away to Urry, whose shot flew over. It was, however, Lymington who went closest with the first half almost over when Soetan’s volley cannoned off the bar before being cleared to safety.

Andover started the second half quickly, when an Urry cross deflected off Herbert to Jordan O’Donnell, but his shot failed to trouble the keeper.

However, Lymington came back the stronger and Soetan, whose pace was keeping Matt Scott and Ryan Inskip busy all afternoon, ran half the length of the pitch to have a shot tipped over the bar by Wellesley-David.

As the game began to become increasingly stretched and fractious, both teams were reduced to ten men when Scott and Lymington’s Ben Rizzo were dismissed by referee Paul Knight after an altercation.

Benson made changes with Lewis Benson returning for his first appearance since the end of August alongside Michael Dixon.

And it was Lewis Benson who provided the winner after good play by Nyarko-Marfo and Urry.

Andover who will now play Bemerton Heath Harlequins at home in the next round.