The Andover New Street promotion bandwagon rolled on at Ash but not without over coming some bumps in the opening half, and on their first ever visit to the neat Shawfield Road ground they eventually recorded the same scoreline as the meeting between the two clubs earlier in the season.

A Reece Rusher shot was saved in a goalmouth scramble in the opening minute before the assistant awarded a throw in without the ball going out of play, the player controlling same inside the line.

The visitors dominated the early possession but were at times guilty of over elaboration whilst the home side defended in numbers before suddenly taking the lead after a quarter of an hour.

A dangerous Jordan Devaney free kick found no takers in the box but the next attack saw a long ball split the Street defence and Jake Martin coolly slotted the ball past Sean O’Brien to put his side in front.

A Rusher break was stopped by the award of a strange free kick to the visitors and the bemused expression on the face of the defender spoke volumes with regard to the decision.

Adam Pearson was wide with a header from a corner, a long-range Rusher effort was held by goalkeeper Fredericks and a superb piece of control by Ross Cook was followed by a shot that was an inch or so too high. Fredericks’s huge clearances from his hands were an occasional problem, though he was rightly spoken too by the referee for the time he held the ball, before with ten minutes left in the half the scores were level. Cook’s header from a Gosney corner was cleared off the line only for Shane Lock to prod the ball home in the ensuing scramble. A fierce free kick by Martin from the edge of the “D” was well parried by O’Brien and an equally strong effort from Cook at the other end was blocked at danger to life and limb and scrambled clear before all retired for the half time break.

Max Allen replaced Pearson on the re-start and in the opening attack Cook slid the ball home only to be denied, rightfully, by a rather late offside flag. The home side were no doubt hoping to continue in the same vein as the first half but found themselves behind for the first time after just seven minutes when Cook’s through ball allowed Mike Gosney to beat the advancing keeper. Rusher struck the bar after a neatly worked corner before Gosney returned the compliment with a through ball to Cook who was bought down by Fredericks and the penalty awarded. Happily, the referee deemed that was sufficient punishment and Ross Cook converted the spot kick with his usual aplomb. Martin collected the only caution of the afternoon for a late challenge and then saw the visitors make it four one on the half hour mark as Joe Wright overlapped on the left and the low cross was turned home by Gosney. The scorer then gave way to Mikey Davis and a Cook header was tipped on to the bar by Fredericks before the striker was replaced by Josh Jeffery with Street then adding three further goals in the last six minutes as the home heads dropped. Lock’s determination set Rusher up for number five before Lock himself made it six, cutting in from the left and finding the corner despite Fredericks getting his hands to the ball, before a solo effort by Josh Jeffery made the total seven on the brink of stoppage time.

A convincing win for Street in the end, after a strangely muted first half performance, and one that ensures the title chase goes to the last Saturday and an Easter finale.