WELCOME AMESBURY TOWN

KEEP CALM

AND

KEEP THEFACT FILE NICKNAME: The Blues STADIUM: Bonnymead Park FAITH CAPACITY: 2,500 LEAGUE POSITION 21-22: 21st Wessex Premier (Relegated) MANAGERS: Jack Vallis & Glyn Cherrett MILES FROM ANDOVER: 15 miles LAST MEETING: Bonnymead Park, 11/09/21, 4-1 in FA Vase 1st QR

THE CAMERANEVER LIES

Reece Rusher maintains possession for the Street during our last meeting with Amesbury Town last season in the FA Vase. A perfect hat-trick from Lloyd Thompson and a Ross Cook penalty ensured the Street progressed to the next round with a 4-1 victory.

MEGAN HARRISON

How did you get into football?

Do you have a matchday routine?

Who is your favourite footballer and why?

What music are you into?

Favourite film?

What do you do to relax?

Biggest fear? If you had to have a superhero power, which one would you choose?

I feel like being able to move things with your mind would be quite good. I’m not sure I’d want to read minds though and then think ‘I didn’t want to know that!’

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what is the one thing you’d bring with you?

I’m a big fan of food so some kind of food to keep me going, probably a packet of digestives! That’ll keep me sorted!

LADIES STREET CHATTER

Photo: Hat-trick hero Lloyd Thompson is congratulated by substitutes Ally McCracken and Cameron Thatcher

MEMORY MATCH

AMESBURY TOWN 1 ANDOVER NEW STREET 4

SEP 11 2021 15 00

After two pandemic hit seasons, the Street embarked on another campaign to achieve promotion to the Wessex Premier.

Following the change in management, with Jamie Coleman being assisted by John Smith and with the majority of the squad staying and being bolstered with a mix of experience and youth. However, a 2-1 opening game defeat to Whitchurch United was not the start expected.

A much-improved performance at Shepton Mallet in the FA Cup followed, with the Street earning a 0-0 draw before eventually bowing out 4-0 in the replay.

Street then produced a dramatic comeback against local rivals Andover Town, where after creating the better chances, found themselves 2-0 down at half-time, before Cameron Thatcher scored late on and then Ross Cook equalised in the dying minutes to earn a point at the Portway Stadium.

League victories started with a 5-0 home win over Fleet Spurs thanks to a Luke Hooper hat-trick. This was backed up by an impressive away performance at New Milton Town. The Street got off to a perfect start after just 4 minutes when Ross Cook broke free and fired home from just inside the box. Lloyd Thompson then doubled the Street’s lead on the half hour when his persistence of shutting down the opposition enabled him to win the ball on the edge of the Linnets box and beat the New Milton keeper.

The second half saw the Street score a third goal on 56 minutes, when they produced a fine counterattack that saw Cook release Hooper, who drilled low past Bull into the far corner. Chris Long pulled a goal back for New Milton but the Street managed the remaining minutes to see out the win.

A midweek trip to Cowes Sports in the League Cup produced another fantastic performance in different circumstances. The Street had raced into a 2-0 lead inside 25 minutes, when Adam Pearson took exception to the fact the referee had played on after a clash of heads that left two Street players down. The outcome was a red card reducing the Street to 10 men with an hour still to play. Cowes would score twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half and just when it looked like the game was going away from the Street, Reece Rusher and Ross Cook would combine twice with the latter scoring twice with fine finishes that would eventually see the Street through to the third round.

The F.A. Vase First Qualifying Round tie pitted the Street against Amesbury Town, who were in the Wessex Premier Division and in such circumstances, and in all Leagues, the higher ranked side ought to be expected to win though there are always exceptions to the Rule. This was one such exception and in all fairness on the afternoon there only ever looked likely to be one winner.

Andover New Street kicked off towards the Clubhouse end and following a couple of preliminary skirmishes took the lead after just five minutes. The ball was initially crossed from the right and goalkeeper Ernest Osei twice frantically palmed the ball off the line without too much help from his defence before Lloyd Thompson headed home from close range.

A Reece Rusher shot was too high and a slightly cynical challenge by Billy Lawrence on Ross Cook saw the visitors awarded a free kick on the edge of the area. Cook took the kick himself and the ball clipped the top of the bar with the keeper no more than a spectator. At the other end goalkeeper Sean O’Brien saved with his legs in a goalmouth scramble before Cook sent Thompson clear to beat the goalkeeper but not the post. Osei saved his side by denying Robbie Owen after the ball had been given away but was fortunate to see a header from the same person rebound from the post into his arms.

Street were very much dominating possession and the game in general but received something of an awakening on the stroke of halftime when the home side levelled the scores. A free kick from the left looked innocuous but the defence failed to get the ball away and Josh Carey forced the ball over the line leaving New Street to head for the half time tea wondering why they were not comfortably ahead.

It was imperative on the restart that Amesbury did not concede an early goal but, as in the first half, Street scored after five minutes with the home defence contributing to their own downfall, Thompson’s pace and control took him in to the area, the challenge was awkward and from behind and Ross Cook nonchalantly lifted the spot kick high into the top corner.

Street skipper Matt Scott was replaced by Ally McCracken with Harry Lawton moving into the back four before materialising at the other end and shooting across the goal from a narrow angle. Rusher kept the ball in the opposition area for some considerable time without being able to fashion a shooting chance before New Street added goal number three with twenty minutes gone, Thompson collecting a through ball in the inside left channel and coolly beating the advancing keeper. There was a slight hiatus – reason unknown –when the referee held a discussion with half a dozen players in the centre circle before Osei denied Thompson again. But the winger was not to be denied and with stoppage time rapidly approaching he robbed Jack Pitt – he had given the full back a fairly torrid ninety minutes throughout - and beat the keeper at his near post to complete his hat trick and an emphatic win for his side.

The home side battled throughout but New Street could have scored more and now face local rivals Andover Town in the next round - something both sides will look forward to with relish.

STREET:

O’Brien, Field, Morris, Scott (Thatcher), Alderman, Lock, Cook (McCracken), Owen (Davis), Rusher, Thompson

AMESBURY TOWN:

Osei, Astridge, Benton, Carey, Laughton-Zimmerman, Lawrence, Lichowe, Matonga, Matthews, Pitt, Quina Brito