Gutsy Lions lose North Hants Cup (From Andover Advertiser)

Gutsy Lions lose North Hants Cup

12:15pm Thursday 14th May 2009

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Andover finally brought a long season to a close on Monday night when they went down by three goals to one to Fleet Town in the Final of the North Hants Cup.

The game, played at Fleet’s Calthorpe Park ground, was in the balance until the last ten minutes with the Lions scoring first, but the home side’s strength told in the closing stages though there was never two goals difference between the two sides on the night.

Andover, still with a lengthy injury list that included Mike Turvey though Lewis Fennemore was fit – both players having been injured against Aldermaston in the previous round – kicked up the slope in the first half and after Kyle Swayne had fired wide the same player received a caution for a challenge that looked nothing out of the ordinary.

After Callum Nicholl had been blocked on the edge of the area the free kick rebounded to safety off the defensive wall.

Bird beat the offside flag but shot across the goal but the half as a whole lacked goalmouth incident with the two sides cancelling each other out in midfield.

Fleet keeper David Smalley, an ex-Lion from some years back, claimed a Ben Buckland cross and then just beat Stuart Gates to an under-hit back pass but both defences were very much on top and the only two further incidents of note in the half were Fleet’s Jamie McClurg firing over after David Hook in the Lions goal was bundled over as he went for a cross and a Lewis Fennemore shot that was just the wrong side of the post following some good work by Nicholl in midfield.

Hook was quickly in action after the re-start, leaving his area to head the ball in to touch, before the Lions took the lead with six minutes of the half gone.

A Rory Williams cross from the left was too long, but when the ball was returned from the other flank skipper Bobby Swayne’s clever control and pass set Callum Nicholl free on the left and the youngster’s finish left Smalley clutching fresh air.

Fennemore was wide from thirty yards and a Paul Jones header suffered the same fate before the Lions enjoyed a let off when McClurg headed wide from very close range.

Nicholl’s shot finished on the roof of the net after a neat three man move and Fleet brought on all three allowed substitutes before the midway point of the half as they searched for the equaliser.

The game was now suffering from too much whistle with the Lions too often on the wrong end of the decisions and one such disputed decision was to cost them dear with just ten minutes remaining.

An attempted Williams clearance seemingly rebounded into touch off a home player but the referee gave the throw to Fleet, cautioned the Andover player for disputing the decision, and when the ball was crossed into the area one of the substitutes, Daniel Read, headed home at the far post.

Lloyd Webber, another immaculate performance from the big defender, had been off the pitch for treatment at the time of the goal and after an abortive attempt to resume was forced to give way to Danny Barber.

A superb challenge by Paul Jones denied Anderson at the expense of a corner but the relief was short lived as the Fleet striker rose the to head home the cross.

Smalley superbly held a low Barber cross at full length with red shirts behind him and despite Paul Jones adding his height and strength to the attack the equaliser would not come and some four minutes into stoppage time Douglas strode clear to beat Hook and leave the result beyond doubt.

This was another gutsy performance against a side that reached the Ryman League play-offs but in the end the probably superior strength of their opponents turned the scoreline on its head in those last ten minutes, but it was another good performance to add to the many the Lions have produced in cup competitions this season.

Andover: Hook, Paul Jones, Webber and Matt Jones: Buckland, Nicholl, Bobby Swayne, Fennemore and Williams, Kyle Swayne and Gates. Subs: May, Roden, Barber, Andrews and Eastham.

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