Andover 1st XI 1, Wanderers 1st XI 5

WITH still three games to play in the Hants/Surrey Regional League before the Christmas break, Andover 1st XI's aim for the season is now to stave off relegation!

The lottery that has been the Andover team selection was working on overtime last Saturday with six squad players declaring themselves unavailable, although Rob West was a late inclusion after becoming a father earlier in the week.

Understandably, this made for a disjointed and disorganised town side and any hopes they had of getting a result were dashed when 'keeper Ed Butterworth had an emergency at work. His replacement was 3rd XI skipper Dan Challinor, who gave 100 per cent, but he was beaten by three penalty strokes and Andover undoubtedly missed Butterworth's commanding presence between the sticks.

Andover struggled to compete with the London side but, despite conceding an early goal, they were on level terms at the break with skipper Brendan Viggers notching the equaliser late in the first half with a shot from a tight angle that was too strong for the visiting 'keeper.

In the second half Andover missed further chances and their ineffective penalty corner routine would also prove to be costly.

Wanderers regained the lead with the first of their penalty strokes after another powerful shot was only kept out by the foot of Glyn Hacker while Andover became increasingly frustrated that strong stick tackles and fouls in the Wanderers' circle went unpunished.

The home side should have been awarded at least one penalty stroke but all they won was another penalty corner, and Andover's current lack of success from corners meant that they were being punished more than the London side.

Wanderers went on to seal victory with a third goal after Rob Oostendorp lost possession in a challenge in which the Andover defender was unfortunate not to be awarded a foul, but the London forward made the most of his good fortune by easily beating the advancing Challinor with a well placed shot.

In the final minutes a beaten Andover side went on to concede a further two penalty strokes, giving the Wanderers' captain an unlikely hat-trick. He made it 4-1 after Challinor's initital save from a penalty corner rebounded away from goal and struck the unfortunate Oostendorp on the boot.

The final goal was socred in the dying seconds; Andover having failed to score from another penalty corner - no surprise there! Wanderers were then able to break away and a last-ditch tackle by Oostendorp again resulted in the umpire pointing to the penalty spot.

Points wise it's still tight between the four clubs anchored at the foot of the league table and Andover need to field a full strength squad as soon as possible, otherwise a drop down to Hants Division One looks an almost certainty.

Andover 1st XI squad: Challinor, Oostendorp, Hoo (R), Parkinson, Winnett, Hacker, Viggers (capt)(, Atkins, Wallbank, May (I), Rimmer, West.

Andover Ladies 1st XI 1, Havant 3rd XI 3

Andover Ladies 1st XI gave as good as they got against league leaders Havant 3rd XI before being undone but two goals in as many minutes early in the second half.

Missed chances in the first half were to prove costly to fourth-in-the-table Andover with Katherine Hoare, Beth Denny-Gouldson and Emma Boswell all going close before Havant took the lead in the closing minutes of the first half; they failed to cut out a dangerous right-wing cross and a Havant forward was left with a simple tap-in.

A disastrous start to the second half virtually ended Andover hopes with Havant racing into a 3-0 lead. However, Andover never conceded defeat and they bombarded the Havant goal for the remainder of the game but only managed to pull back one goal through Boswell.

Andover Ladies 1st XI squad: Rutter, Sandilands, Gigg, Kinchenton, Amphlett, Cuff, Hacker (capt), Crack, Duffy, Hoare, Claridge.

Andover 4th XI 2, Fordingbridge 3rd XI 3

Andover 4th XI's winning run came to an end when losing a closely fought encounter with Fordingbridge. Despite having only 10 players, Andover started superbly and raced into a two-goal lead through James Woods and Jamie Burnham but Fordingbridge hit back strongly to level terms with two goals in quick succession.

Steven Marney denied Fordingbridge the lead when saving a penalty stroke but Andover hopes were dashed with the visitors going ahead for the first time with a third goal just before half time.

The second half was a battle of wills, despite suffering a number of minor injuries Andover held firm with man-of-the-match Marney again coming to the rescue by saving a second penalty and tight marking, but Andover were unable to find an equaliser.

Andover 4th XI: Marney, Peebles (D) (capt), Stiles, Wilcox, Peebles (N), Woods, Unwin, Thomas, Burnham (T), Burnham (J).