London Div 2 South: Gosport's expected win fails to impress

And there was no better illustration than this encounter in which the home side won the game and collected two points but could say probably very little else in support of the victory.

The match had all the appearances of a Hampshire Cup game between two sides in varying divisions - Gosport & Fareham were always likely winners but it did not matter by how many points.

Don't take anything away from Andover's defence, who held firm - as they had to for the whole duration of the second half - despite the fact that they did not glimpse their opponents' try line as they attempted to break down the five-point interval deficit.

But you could see why Keith Mitchell's charges are languishing at the wrong end of the table after securing promotion last season - they lacked a cutting edge in the attack.

The first half was fairly even, though, with the Gosport's impressive flanker Ben Slatter and Andover winger Mick Cockings exchanging penalties within the first five minutes before the former found himself on the receiving end of Chris Thompson's drive through to ease the hosts ahead.

Jamie Daly's individual brilliance set up a second on the quarter mark when he sprinted up the right wing after snapping up the ball at the base of a scrum and chipping ahead for Jon Hogarth to collect and hold off the desperate tackling to stretch the lead.

Gosport could have put their foot on the gas and dumped a continually weakened Andover further into trouble, but they eased off instead and allowed hooker Craig Patterson space at the front of a line-out to surge to the line and cut the arrears to a single score.

The second half was all Gosport & Fareham, but their own headless chicken style of play let them down and they were forced to settle for just two tries, despite their total domination.

Passes going to ground, wrong options being taken, especially from the half-fit coach Sean Fanning at fly-half, and their own indiscipline near their line ensured Andover still had a sniff of a surprise. Gosport finally put the game beyond doubt when Andy Vance, in just his second game of the season, zipped in after his forwards had again pushed the visitors off their own ball. Vance crossed in the left corner, Slatter converting well.

Slatter's penalty three minutes later was followed by a second try for the former Old Richians star to claim an 18-point haul for the side who remain third on the back of this result behind Tunbridge Wells and Worthing.

Unfortunately, a mass brawl just before the final whistle spoilt an otherwise moderately clean game, given the reputation this fixture had in the past.

Referee Paul Burton could have issued a number of red cards but settled for two yellows for Fanning and Patterson, as almost all the players got involved.

Nevertheless, Gosport & Fareham won and the manner did not worry Burns.

"It was not a great game but a score is a score and we will take that.

"We have got players out at the moment and this was not the strongest side we could have fielded. We are a bit naive at times and the decision-making left a bit to the imagination, but we won and that will do."

Injured Andover coach Keith Mitchell was pleased with his sides' defensive qualities, but knows there is still lots of work to do to ensure survival from this league.

"I was happy with the defence we put in, especially when they put us under pressure early in the second half. To only concede twice in the second half was good, but this is becoming the story of our season - defending well but not really converting points. That is something we have to address otherwise we are going to continue to struggle."

Gosport & Fareham unveiled Army Rugby League centre Darrell Cooper as the latest addition to their squad before the game. The Maidstone-based 30-year-old Cooper plays alongside coach Sean Fanning and other Dolphin Crescent regulars Jon Hogarth, Dave Goddard and Steve Emm in the Army RL ranks.