Thatcham Town 3 Andover 1

AN uncharacteristic lack lustre showing brought an abrupt end to Andover's seven-match unbeaten run in the JWL at Waterside Park last Saturday.

Arguably the Lions overall run of just one defeat in their 16 previous games had given them a false sense of security and the result was a sharp reminder that the season has still a lot of mileage left.

The absence of manager Howard Goddard, laid low by a virus, may have contributed and the Lions boss was bitterly disappointed at the feed back he had from his assistant Ray Cozze with his comments that the town side were outfought, were second best and didn't want it.

"Getting turned over made me feel event worse because I didn't think we would lose," said Goddard. "I told the players the other week that when I'm not around - and there are going to be occasions like this - then their minds are not on the job but I can't be their father every week."

The players are likely to get something of a tongue-lashing when Goddard returns. "I'm always on their backs when I'm there but that's the way I do things, I tell them the way it is. I'm the main man and it looks as though they've slackened off a bit and that's not fair on Ray because I couldn't have a better assistant. They've not only let him down, they've let me down and also the fans."

Goddard added that he does all the warm-up with the players and he's on at them for an whole hour before the game. "I've been there myself, when the manager is not about you tend to take it a bit easier. It's not intentional but it happens. The team I put out against Thatcham should have been good enough to have got a result."

The Lions, who won 3-1 at Waterside Park 11 days previously in the away leg of the second round of the League Cup and play the return leg at The Portway this week, contributed to their own down fall.

Their failure to supply their front runners meant that little was seen of Justin Bennett and Sam Rea was left to make his own chances. Apart from the goal they did manage to score, the fact that the Lions had only two other efforts on target during the entire 90 minutes tells the whole story.

With Ray Cozzi at the helm due to Goddard's absence, the Lions showed just one change to the side that defeated Alton Town in the Hants Senior Cup the previous week with Dave Mariner returning due to the unavailabilty of Tidworth-based soldier Terry Lynch due to Army duties.

Much of the early play was confined to the Lions' half as Thatcham sought to impress their newly-appointed manager. They forced the Lions into making too many mistakes and it came as no real surprise when they took the lead after 13 minutes.

A free kick on the Lions' right was swung into the Andover area and when Kieron Drake failed to hold the ball Russell Green was left with the simple task of side-footing into an empty net.

The Lions best chance fell to Bennett but his header drifted wide of an upright but the flow of the game was too often punctuated by the referees' whistle in what was largely a scrappy game.

Alan Kennedy and Steve McNulty tried their utmost but Andover too often found themselves going up blind alleys and when the Lions defence inexplicably backed off Thatcham's leading scorer Sean Cook made full use of the space to rifle home a purler that left Drake groping at thin air to double the home side's lead.

The Lions' false down arrived two minutes later when they pulled a goal back. Thatcham's 'keeper Allan Mann was entrusted with a free kick two yards inside from the touch line. However, it went straight to Bennett who crossed for Rea to slot into the empty net.

The closing 10 minutes of the first half turned out to be Andover's best spell of the game but their only reward was two efforts from Rea that went over the woodwork.

At the start of the second half the Lions still had a chance of turning the tables. Thatcham looked nothing special at the back and at times their play resembled a rehearsal for their annual Christmas pantomime.

However, try as they might the Lions were unable to take advantage and as usually happens it was Thatcham who going the killer goal midway through the half. A well struck corner found its way through a body of players to an unmarked James De Fraine as the back post and he tapped in from close range.

Ten minutes later it almost got worse for the Lions but after a quick break Drake did well to spread himself and deny Cook his second goal of the game.

In fairness to the Lions they were twice on the wrong end of very dubious offside decisions but overall cannot really complain about the final result.

Andover (3-5-2): Drake; George, Damen (capt), Pratley; Mariner, Kennedy, Richards, McNulty, Nurse; Rea, Bennett. Subs: Phil Nichols (for Pratley 50 mins), Keith Nichols (for Mariner 60 mins), Cole (for Rea 73 mins).