Andover 0 Thatcham 0

ANDOVER are through to the quarter-finals of the JWL Cup but there was little in the way of festive cheer in the return leg of the second round on a bitterly cold evening at The Portway on Tuesday night.

Leading 3-2 from the first leg, the Lions first 0-0 draw of the season proved to be enough but with the two sides having met just four days earlier in the JWL goals were always likely to be at a premier.

With manager Howard Goddard back at the helm, the Lions also had a point to prove to the manager after their lack lustre showing at the weekend but a workmanlike Thatcham matched the home side's work rate, despite playing the whole of the second half with 10 men after they had midfielder Gary Buckett red carded on the stroke of half time.

His dismissal brought a dramatic ending to the first half with Buckett, cautioned earlier for dissent, receiving a second yellow card for stamping on a grounded Danny Sullivan.

In game best described as competitive and littered with free kicks there was a lot of huff and puff in the first half but the Lions had to change their usual system with defender Richard Pratley missing due to injury, but Tidworth-worth based soldier Terry Lynch was back from a trip to Germany and there were also recalls for Phil Nichols and Danny Sullivan to the starting line-up.

Sullivan might have scored in the first minute with a close-ranger header and he later scythed wide another excellent chance but scoring opportunities in a first half best described as 'competitive' were few and far between.

Thatcham's one chance came after Lions 'keeper Kieron Drake held onto a back pass from his skipper Glen Damen in his own six-yard box. But, despite the 'keeper receiving a yellow card for dissent, the Lions kept the ball out of their net with 10 players on the goal-line!

Match official Jonathan Forescue from Broadstone penalised virtually every tackle , and Sullivan was also booked by the Dorset referee for hooking the ball away.

Second half Andover never looked in any danger of losing as Thatcham were forced to defend resolutely with a 4-4-1 formation but it always looked like ending goal-less with Alan Mann in fine form in the Thatcham goal.

He saved superbly from Sullivan early in the second half and then kept out a goal-bound header from Bennett with his body and perhaps deserved the luck that came his way when Mario Nurse rounded the 'keeper and squared the ball across an open goal but there was no-one in a red and black shirt to add the finishing touch.

Andover were well in control with Lynch, Steve McNulty and Alan Kennedy dictating in midfield until the last 15 minutes when Goddard made a triple substitution by bringing on Dean Cole, Neil Butler and Keith Nichols and Thatcham went for broke with three up front.

The only threat came from dead-ball situations and they were given plenty of those by a whistle-happy referee but Andover still looked comfortable and their one goal advantage proved enough to see them through to the next round where they will face Moneyfields.

Goddard said: "I had the whole squad in for an hour-and-a-half before the game and told them that Saturday's showing was unacceptable. I thought we competed well and we're now through to the quarter-finals in four cups - Hants Senior Cup, North Hants Cup, JWL League Cup and Russell-Cotes Cup - which is a great achievement.

"We're now back where we were before the defeat by Thatcham and hopefully we can go on from there. We've got a good run of league games coming up with the trip to Lymington & NM this Saturday, have the local derby with Whitchurch at home on Boxing Day and the following Saturday play Moneyfields at home," said the Lions manager.

The trip to second placed Lymington & NM this Saturday will be another tough test for the Lions but Goddard believes in the old football adage that you only get out of a game what you put into it. "They are a big strong physical side and you have to stand up to them but they are not invincible," Goddard said. "If we put in the effort I don't see why we can't get a result."

Andover (4-4-2): Drake; Kennedy, Richards, Damen (capt), Phil Nichols; Sullivan, Lynch, McNulty, Nurse; Bennett, Rea. Subs: Cole (for Bennett 76 mins), Butler (for Rea 76 mins), Keith Nichols (for Sullivan 76 mins).

Lions defender Richard Pratley is the only injury doubt for this Saturday's JWL game at Lymington & NM and if he fails a pre-match fitness test then Phil Nichols will continue as his replacement. Goddard has named a 17-man squad with long term injured Paul Hughes (ribs) and Ian Knight (knee) are still missing along with the suspended Vinnie Rusher.

Andover (from): Drake; Kennedy, Richards, Damen (capt), Hughes, Pratley, Phil Nichols, Sullivan, Lynch, McNulty, Nurse, Bennett, Rea, Cole, Mariner, Keith Nichols, Butler. Striker Sam Rea misses the Boxing Day derby clash against Whitchurch United at The Portway (3pm) due to suspension and midfielder Terry Lynch is again unvailable but will be back for the following Saturday's home clash with Moneyfields (3pm).