FOR the second season running, Andover New Street progressed to the First Round Proper of the FA Vase with a hattrick from Ross Cook and a thrilling 3-2 win over a spirited Fawley side at Foxcotte Park.

Street welcomed back Shane Lock and Joe Rogers from injury and Alex Dockree returned to the bench but Mike Gosney and keeper George Baxter were unavailable while Cook was free from suspension.

In perfect conditions, both in terms of the weather and playing surface, the home side got off to the best possible start with a goal after just three minutes. Cook and Lock worked their way in to the area with a neat one two and the former swept the ball past keeper Lee Burch (1-0).

Lock incidentally, who missed last week’s game after suffering an injury in the warm up, was able to take his place following three lengthy sessions over the course of the week with physio Pete Tunney.

Burch clung on to a corner after good work on the left by Aaron Moore and Eddie Perrett and was then at full stretch to turn a Cook effort round the post. Street were the more direct of the two sides with Cook too high and Burch a long way out of his area in denying Mikey Davis before Dylan Knight was also too high at the other end after some skilful control created the shooting chance.

Fawley now enjoyed a spell of pressure with Street seeming to drop deep and levelled the score on the half hour mark. An under-hit back pass from the touchline left goalkeeper Paddy O’Brien in no-man’s land, the challenge from the defender was from behind, and Knight stroked the penalty in to the corner of the net (1-1).

A Davis corner was only partially cleared and Aaron Moore was inches wide from the edge of the area and a Cook lob that cleared Burch was acrobatically cleared by Liam Webber before the half ended with A Matt Scott header from a Davis corner shaving the outside of the far post.

The second half started with a bad challenge by Fawley’s Keiron Roche which earned him a yellow card that on another day could have been red, before Street took the lead after just four minutes. Burch punched clear a corner first time only for the incoming Liam Hibberd to rattle the cross bar with a rising drive and Burch somehow turned Cook’s follow up header over the bar. Corner number two from Davis was shorter and Cook reacted quickest to head the ball just inside the near post (2-1).

Roche pushed his luck with some dissent which earned him a spell in the sin bin and Street were much quicker than in the first half and Burch, largely keeping his side in the game at this stage, saved superbly from Lock.

Davis hit the post and Cook was denied by the closest of offside decisions yet suddenly the scores were level. Fawley worked their way in from the right and Knight beat O’Brien from some 15 yards as the half reached its midway stage (2-2).

Fawley now enjoyed a spell of possession as in the first half and Street’s Scott Hassell became the second player to have a 10-minute rest. Not seen a sin bin so far this season and then, like London Buses, two come along together.

Street began to take back some control of the game with Davis’s speed a constant threat on the left and with some 13 minutes left they regained the lead. Davis won and took a corner on the left and Burch punched the ball back towards the corner flag. Davis quickly crossed again and Cook who had been at the near post for the first corner, rose highest at the far post to thump his header in to the roof of the net (3-2).

Fawley, to their credit, responded by pumping the ball into the area as often as possible with goalkeeper Burch in the Street area at the end but they could not find the equaliser. An enjoyable game, against a side who always cause problems, which Street deserved to win if only because they carried more threat in front of goal, but found Burch in superb form. They can now look forward to the draw on Monday.