Whitchurch United 0 Andover 2

ANDOVER will be heading for a JWL showdown with North Hants neighbours Fleet Town at Calthorpe Park in their final league game of the season on Saturday.

Ken Cunningham Brown's table-toppers have a single point advantage over Fleet after both sides won their penultimate league games on Tuesday night.

The Lions ran out comfortable winners at local rivals Whitchurch while Fleet scrambled a narrow 2-1 win at home to Thatcham Town.

A draw will be enough for the Lions to become champions for the second year running and will enable KCB, who is stepping down as manager at the end of the season, to end his 10-year reign at the town club on a high note.

But the Lions will be going to Calthorpe Park to win. "We always thought it might come down to this, it will be a thrilling finale but we've had another tremendous season in challenging for the title again and also reaching three cup finals," said the Andover owner/manager.

The Lions went to Longmeadow needing the three points and were expecting another tough battle against a Whitchurch side that surprisingly stole a point with a shock 0-0 at The Portway - on April Fools Day!

Whitchurch again adopted the same tactics and a hard and bumpy pitch, which could have been a great leveller with the ball zipping about like a chinese firecracker, but the Lions showed their quality with a goal in each half from two of their local players in Alan Kennedy and Vince Rusher.

Kennedy rifled in the first low into the bottom corner of the net from just inside the area on 25 minutes after Shaun Dyke got in behind the Whitchurch left on the left.

Dave Smalley on his return to the Whitchurch goal kept the home side in the game with a series of brave saves, twice denying Matt Crossley - always a threat at corners - and Paul Odey - all from crosses by Rusher.

It was Rusher, having missed the previous game between the two sides with him working away in Guernsey, who made all the difference with his ability to control the bouncing ball in attack and deliver the quality crosses from the right flank.

Brian Drury's Whitchurch however have survived another season in the JWL, which is a major achievement in itself considering their resources compared to Andover's, but Rusher finally killed off the home side with the second goal - his 35th of the season - 10 minutes into the second half when 'wacking' the ball home, much to the delight of his wife Wanda watching from the stand, after an over-worked Whitchurch defence had beaten out yet another corner.

Whitchurch did break out to win a corner of their own just before half time but the only time they threatened the Andover goal came late on when they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Andover area but Dean Robinson's attempt ended up safely in the hands of 'keeper Kieron Drake.

Andover (4-4-2): Drake; Kennedy, Barker, Crossley, Bicknell; Asker, Webber, Walsh, Dyke; Rusher, Odey. Subs: Forbes, Damen, Freeman (not used).

Whitchurch (5-3-2): Smalley, Rees, Loddon, George, Robinson, Morris; Dinham, McNulty, Nurse; Butler, Soper-Dyer. Subs: Hack (for Soper-Dyer 75 mins), Restell, Rolfe (not used).