A MIXED RECORD AGAINST THE BLUES

Today’s visitors, Andover Town, were elected to the Wessex Football League in 2013, after reforming, following the demise of Andover.

The Blues, managed by Neil Benson took to the task of achieving promotion in their first season and quickly opened up a 4-point lead at the top of the League One table in late October.

Our first meeting in the league arrived on 26th October 2013 at Town’s temporary home of Winklebury Complex. The Street were three-nil down inside half an hour but Matt Styles’s side took the game to Town and with the help of two identical own goals, all but snatched a point

The Town took an early lead, when in the 9th minute a Claudio Herbert corner was flicked on by Alex Dockree and Lewis Benson arrived late to tuck the ball away from almost on the goaline.

Shortly later, Herbert slung in another long cross and Ryan Inskip arrived to make it 2-0. The Town were well on top and it made it 3-0 when Jordon O’Donnell found room to provide a long cross over keeper Dave Tasker and Michael Dixon just needed it to hit him on the far post for his eighth of the season.

Street manager Matt Styles rang the changes at halftime, with Tommy Gentleman and Ryan Hethershaw replaced, with Prince Xamela coming on and Dave Cotter pushed further up the pitch and within minutes they had a toe hold on the game as Cotter’s cross shot deflected off Lloyd Foot and wrong-footed Town keeper Jake Wellesley-David. Then on 66 minutes it was 3-2. Bizarrely it was an identical own goal as Cotter again shot across the goal and Foot deflected it past Wellesley-David.

Unfortunately for Street, despite having the home defence at full stretch, it was Town who took the points.

The return was played the following March, with the Street struggling in the bottom two of the division and were on an eight-game losing streak, however, results were improving with promotion chasing Tadley Calleva, only winning 2-0 at Foxcotte, compared to a few of the hammerings the young Street side were enduring a few games previous. This was to be expected with Street only able to name 13 players in the squad, with second choice keeper, 17 year-old Tom Crozier up front alongside 16 year-old Charlie Waite.

To rub salt into the wounds further it was two ex-Street players that scored the goals to keep Town 12 points clear of Petersfield Town in the race for the League One title.

The crowd of 150 had barely settled when the home defence gifted the ball to Oli Yates, and he had little trouble in beating Dave Tasker to make it 1-0 inside two minutes.

Town’s Dixon would later see his penalty and rebound saved by Tasker, after Xhamela had handled in the area. The crucial second goal came in the second half when Alex Dockree fed Lewis Alderman and his low shot just crept inside the far post.

The Town would eventually finish runners-up to Petersfield but still gain promotion to the Wessex Premier, while the Street would finish in 15th place, above East Cowes Vic’s and level on points with Hayling United.

The next competitive fixture between the two sides would be in the 2015/16 season, when the teams would be paired together in the Wessex League Cup.

The Street had made an impressive start and were undefeated in their first four matches, before a run of 8 defeats including defeats in the Hants Senior, FA Vase, Salisbury Hospitals and North Hants Cups.

A 3-2 home win over Fleet Spurs, gave the Street some confidence going into the encounter with their rivals. The gulf in class however was made clear early on when Michael Dixon opened the scoring on 7 minutes.

It was 2-0 on 20 minutes when Pekun latched onto Gilbert’s defence splitting pass and controlled immaculately before slotting round Street keeper Dave Tasker. Alex Dockree would get the third goal, seven minutes later, when he took down a cross at the back post before delicately curling the ball into the top corner.

Straight away it became 4-0, when Pekun chased down the restart, winning the ball outside the box and slid the ball home. A nightmare 5 minutes was made worse for Street when Dockree latched onto a through ball by Dixon, leading to a 50-50 challenge between him and the on-rushing Tasker. Dockree came out on top and recovered his footing to slot the ball into the empty net.

Pekun completed his hat-trick on 35 minutes when following a mix up between Tasker and Gary Thorne, Pekun had a 2-yard tap-in to put the Town 6-0 up

Jake Younie completed the first half scoring, smashing home a rebound from his own header after he was left completely unmarked from a Benson corner.

The game was then brought back to life in the 65th minute after Gilbert drove 30 yards into the Street half before playing in Pekun, who fired low into the bottom corner for his 4th goal of the evening.

Street produced their only real chance in the dying minutes when the ball was whipped in at the head of an advanced Steve Turner, but his effort bounced wide.

Town broke quickly from the resulting goal kick and Pekun scored his 5th when his original shot was saved by Tasker and the Town winger finished off the rebound to complete the scoring and make it a thoroughly miserable evening.

The next meeting between the two teams would take place during the pre-season of the 2016-17 season. The introduction of the Andover Charity Cup, with the trophy kindly donated by Cliff Stevens, saw the Street complete their pre-season with a good-sized crowd and an entertaining game at the Portway Stadium.

Both teams started well, but it was the hosts that took the lead in the 10th minute, when Adam Grange found space at a corner to beat Tasker at the near post.

Three further goals in the first half for Town, ensured the trophy was staying at the Portway. First Liam Gilbert’s free kick found its way past Tasker, then Chris Onoufriou scored twice in three minutes. Adam Grange was brought down in the area and Onoufriou netted from the spot His

Second goal came after good work by Danny Urry and Onoufriou netted from the rebound after his first effort was blocked.

Both sides made plenty of changes during the second half and Town completed the scoring with their 5th, when Academy player Craig Stanley scored the best goal of the game.

The next Charity Cup fixture took place a year later in July 2017 at Foxcotte and a much tighter game was witnessed by over 200 spectators.

The Town took an early lead with Craig Blakeman scoring a thirty-yard screamer. Street had an opportunity to level on the half hour when they were awarded a penalty. However, Zach Neve’s penalty was straight and Town keeper Lloyd Thomas made the save at the expense of a corner.

The Street did get back on level terms, ten minutes into the second half. Former Town player, Olie Yates made inroads into the Town defence and as the ball came across the goal, Casson Spencer got the finishing touch.

The outcome of the match was decided in the final 15 minutes, first a deep cross from the left found an unmarked Michael Gosney to score from close range. Five minutes from time the home keeper could only parry Gilbert’s fierce effort, the rebound came back to Reece Rusher, who fired home from the edge of the box.

Both clubs enjoyed success that season, with Street gaining promotion to the Wessex Premier and the Town finishing runners-up in the Wessex Premier. Unfortunately, the club opted out of promotion and were demoted back down to Wessex League One

A much-changed Town side entertained the Street in the next chapter of the Charity Cup saga. From the outset, the Street looked the most dangerous, with Town keeper Kieran McHardy being called into action on numerous occasions. The Street took a deserved lead in the 11th minute when Olie Yates fired home from outside the penalty area. Then in the 21st minute the Street were awarded a penalty, but Callum Sweeney put the penalty over the bar.

Sweeney made amends shortly after the break, when he converted an opportunity to double the Street’s lead. That lead became 3-0 shortly afterwards when Yates was left unmarked, and he made no mistake. The Town did get a consolation in the 55th minute through Shaquille Gwengwe.

The Town welcomed the Street to the Portway in late November 2018, this time in the North Hants Senior Cup.

On a dry but misty evening, the Street started well and scored just after 10 minutes. A long clearance from George Baxter was deftly headed on by Callum Sweeney into Kylan Lewis’s path and the tall striker rounded the keeper to score.

Chances at both ends were not converted until on thirty minutes, substitute Zac Hine slid the ball through for Shane Lock to score.

The game was all but over after 15 minutes in the second half. First Lock converted from inside the six-yard box following a set-piece corner. Then Lewis shrugged off his marker to cross for Hine to convert to make it 4-0.

It was not long before it was 5-0 and it came from a rare Jamie Pollard strike after the ball had been pulled back to him from a corner.

Both sides were struggling in the league, but faced each other in April 2019, again at the Portway but this time in the Andover Open Cup Semi-Final.

The game was not a spectacle for the 168 crowd that attended the game, as it was a scrappy, at times tetchy with not many scoring opportunities.

The only goal of the game came when Lock seized on a short back pass and rounded Tasker in the Town goal to score and ensure the Street progressed to the final, which they won against Alresford Town.

The next encounter at Foxcotte Park, was in the Charity Cup and was perhaps the closest game between the two sides. At the end of 90 minutes, nothing could separate the 2 teams, with the game being decided by a penalty shootout.

In the end the Street held their nerve to win 5-4, with Ilyas Warshow scoring the winning penalty.

The first league encounter between the sides since March 2014 came in October 2019. The match was eagerly awaited and was well contested in front of a huge crowd of 248 at Foxcotte Park.

The Street overcame the early loss of skipper Matt Scott through injury and took the lead when Jazz Beavis had an effort that hit an advancing defender and the referee, who was perfectly placed, gave a penalty for handball. Callum Sweeney gleefully converted the penalty to give the Street the lead.

The play began to get frantic at times and Town equalised on 75 minutes, when Zac Hine, a number of players that had played for opposing sides, lifted a free kick over the defensive wall and high into the net.

Five minutes after drawing level, the Town found themselves behind again. A long run by Beavis was ended at the expense of a corner, the kick was half cleared and when the ball came back in from the other flank, defender Jake Curtis headed home from close range in the midst of a static defence and goalkeeper.

There was still time for Town to have one more chance, but Emans blasted his effort straight at the stranded New Street keeper Chris Wing, when he pounced on a loose back-pass.

Covid-19 then affected the league so that the next match played was the annual Charity match at the Portway Stadium. This was the last time the trophy was played for between the two sides, and it was Town that came out on top.

Street had a new management team of Danny Dolan and Jamie Coleman as his assistant, and they got off to the perfect start when Olie Yates converted from close range to give the Street the lead.

The lead only lasted until the 35th minute, when Michael Donovan’s diagonal cross from the left, evaded both central defenders and Josh Hewson colly slotted the ball past Sean O’Brien.

The Town then effectively won the game, two minutes later, Hewson burst into the area and was brought down by O’Brien, with the Street keeper earning a yellow card. Zac Hine fired home the spot kick into the roof of the net just before halftime. The second half proved to be uneventful with the Town securing the game 2-1.

The following league encounter in September, was again at the Portway Stadium, is best forgotten! For the record the Street raced into a 2-0 halftime lead thanks to goals from Danny Urry and substitute Scott Kinge. The Street looked comfortable at halftime but then proceeded to press the suicide button in the second half.

Firstly, Josh Hewson’s pace took him clear, the advancing O’Brien half stopped the ball with his legs and then saw it to roll agonisingly slowly inside the far post.

The home side were now the dominant force and after Hewson won another corner and Adam Pattison saw a header well saved another scramble saw a handball in the area and Tom Pattison made no mistake from the spot.

Then with a little more than fifteen minutes remaining the visitors were reduced to ten men when Danny Field received a second caution for a rather blatant shirt tug that halted an attack.

An effort from Street substitute Ally McCracken bought the best out of Kerrigan before Town were awarded a second penalty. There was no doubting that Scott’s challenge was a foul though to many it looked outside the area, but the Assistant seemingly convinced the referee otherwise and Tom Pattison converted the penalty with the same aplomb as his earlier effort.

With the ninety minutes virtually up came chaos and confusion as O’Brien blocked a shot and there was a mighty scrimmage in the area of the “D” that resulted in a red card for Street’s Connor Thorne - the reason for same was difficult to see – and further lengthy “conversation” ended with Scott and Kinge heading for the Sin Bin and New Street now reduced to seven players. Into stoppage time –something like nine minutes – and Barkaway scored a fourth in a goalmouth scramble before Adam Pattison scored a fifth goal as Street suffered for the lack of numbers.

With the Covid lockdown and no Charity Cup last season, so the two sides then met again in the League near the start of the 2021/22 season. Matches between these two Clubs, are always entertaining and this was no exception for as a game it had everything. Goals, missed chances, all out attacking football, determined and often brave defending, an exciting finish and one of the most bizarre goals one will ever see.

The visitors made the better start with a Luke Hooper shot turned round the post by keeper Jack Hopwood, a Cameron Thatcher cross emphatically cleared for a corner and a handball claim turned down.

Ben Emans bought Town into the game with a couple of pacy runs and a shot that hit the inside of the far post and rebounded into play, but after Street goalkeeper Chris Wing bravely saved a Michael Owen shot the home side went ahead on the ten-minute mark.

A corner, swung in from the left, was headed back in to the six-yard box and Josh Bertie was the quickest to react and hooked the ball over the line. Street bounced back with a fierce Ross Cook volley that was (painfully) blocked and two further efforts from the same player were saved by Hopwood, one with his legs.

Hooper’s pace was troubling the Town defence and a Shane Lock cross was headed out of Hopgood’s hands by one of his own defenders, before the lead was doubled after twenty-six minutes. Wing collected a through ball and under little pressure whilst debating his clearance suddenly trod on the ball, fell over, and Michael Owen almost apologetically rolled the ball in to the empty net.

Bertie just failed to make contact with a left wing cross and at the other end Hopwood fumbled a Hooper shot before bravely falling on the loose ball and then denying Cook again as the striker tried to find the far corner. As Street finished the half the strongest the home defence held firm, often with bodies in the way of the ball, and the half ended with some superb control by Hooper and an equally superb save by Hopwood.

Street started the second half with Lewis Alderman replacing Adam Pearson in the heart of the defence and came close to reducing the deficit when a home defender swung wildly at a Lloyd Thompson cross and was relieved to see the ball fly over his own crossbar.

Back came the home side with Nathan Primus finding Bertie, whose shot was high, before Wing produced the save of the evening to turn a Tom Pattison piledriver over the bar.

Hopwood thwarted Cook again and Lloyd Thompson was stopped by weight of numbers on the edge of the area.

Then with some six minutes left on the clock. Street made ground down the left, Cameron Thatcher burst into the area and simply kept running and slotted the ball past Hopwood from a narrow angle.

There was then the usual “debate” as to who was going to retrieve the ball from the net, a scuffle and a red card for Primus with the referee indicating that he had stamped on an opponent.

The first card of the game and no real protests at the decision. Scenting a point New Street came forward again and Thompson was inches away with an acrobatic volley from a Ross Belbin cross before Adam Pattison collected a yellow card for a tackle born out of frustration.

Normal time had given way to added time when New Street won a corner on the right. The kick cleared everybody and Ross Cook, all alone on the far side of the area, volleyed the ball through the crowd of defenders and attackers alike to find the net inside the far post and cause almost manic celebrations from the white shirted visitors.

Within another minute the final whistle ensured honours finished even after a match which was a credit to both sides and, in turn, the League.

Mention too of the remarkable attendance – 369 – with people still queuing to get in ten minutes after kick off.

The two sides would meet again shortly later in the FA Vase and the game enjoyed an absolutely explosive start as Town gave the ball away in midfield and Daryll Phillips went through to slot the ball past the advancing Jordan Brooks in the home goal after just twenty-eight seconds.

Play became very much end to end, though the visitors looked the more threatening, with Waledin Ahmed wide for Town and Reece Rusher almost catching Brooks off his line in reply. Phillips seized on another loose ball, but the shot was straight at the keeper, Rusher was too high with a free kick and Mikey Davis saw his shot saved as New Street enjoyed a spell of pressure before Ben Emans drove forward, but Street goalkeeper Sean O’Brien claimed the cross in a crowded area.

Having conceded a goal in the opening minute of the first half, Town nearly scored themselves inside sixty seconds as the game restarted, clever play by Josh Bertie taking him into the area before weight of numbers proved too much.

Street then doubled their lead on 51 minutes. The second of two corners was not dealt with by the defence and Mikey Davis fired high into the net from close range. O’Brien had to race from his area to clear an under hit back pass before within three minutes of goal number two New Street made it three. A long clearance from Scott was neatly turned in to Daryll Phillips’s path by Shane Lock and the shot from some fifteen yards flew into the top corner giving Brooks no chance.

The home side seemed to lose their composure and found themselves four down after 62 minutes. An up and under clearance by Scott was completely missed by a home defender and Daryll Phillips gratefully and skilfully lobbed the ball over the stranded Brooks. O’Brien made the save of the afternoon in tipping a thunderbolt from Brendan Holmes

Round The Angle Of Cross And Bar

The number of replacements took the sting out of the game, which drifted into stoppage time before bursting into life again.

There appeared little danger as Holmes collected the ball outside the area, but his low drive found the corner of the net to reduce the deficit though it was a case of too little, too late and the afternoon’s honours and local bragging rights went to New Street along with a place in the next round.

The two sides then met in North Hants Cup. It’s local importance attracted an attendance in excess of two hundred to Foxcotte Park for what was a highly entertaining ninety minutes.

Both clubs fielded nearly full-strength sides and it was the visitors who started the stronger after they escaped when conceding possession in their own half and being saved by Owen Trapnell’s well timed challenge on Reece Rusher.

An early Town corner saw home keeper Michael Weatherall keep out a James Ritchie header with the help of the crossbar and they should have profited from a Ben Emans cross which was rather scuffed wide of the post from close range. Reward for their pressure came in the eleventh minute when Brendan Holmes sent Ben Emans clear on the right and his speed and control took him through a rather hesitant defence and round the keeper before rolling the ball in to an empty net.

To their credit the home side slowly worked their way back in to the game and after Shane Lock and Rusher had gone close they fashioned an equaliser ten minutes before the break.

Lock made ground on the left before Ross Cook squared the ball across the area for Rusher to beat the rather stranded Steinborne-Busse in the Andover goal. Street then made it two goals in three minutes with Cook again the provider. His clever pass sent Lee Morris into the area, the keeper blocked the shot with his legs and Lock was quickest to the rebound

So, to the rather strange start to the second half as a home attack was halted by the corner flag with the ball going out of play. The referee embarked on an extremely lengthy conversation with his assistant before showing Andover’s Jay Jay Tucker a red card while at least one other player was cautioned.

Then two goals in as many minutes midway through the half made it game over. The first was made by Lock’s through ball which found two green and black shirts just the right side of the offside flag and it was full back Lee Morris, who coolly slotted the ball past the advancing keeper. The second was due to an error by Steinbourne-Busse, as he seemed rather casual in trying to claim a difficult bouncing ball, didn’t hold it, and Lawton took advantage from close range. Josh Jefferies then ended the scoring with the goal of the game. A corner was partially cleared only for the youngster to send an unstoppable shot high into the roof of the net from some twenty yards and put the icing on the cake as far as the home side were concerned.

The return League game at the Foxcotte was an unusual un entertaining game. Perhaps because both sides were in a promotion dog fight, with Street battling for automatic promotion, while Town were desperately trying to stay in the play-off places.

After a drab first half, the Street took the lead when Ross Cook superbly controlled and volleyed home from close range. But the lead would not last long as Adam Pattison was left in acres of space and he was able to drill the ball home past Jordi Wilson in the Street goal.

A draw would not be what both sides wanted, with the street missing out on promotion by a point, while Town fell out of the Play-Offs to eventual winners Laverstock & Ford.

Finally, this season has seen two encounters so far between the sides, both victories for the Street. A 6-4 win at the Portway in the North Hants Cup was just as entertaining as the scoreline suggests with Davis, Scott and Ross Cook with four goals sealing the win. And it was Cook with another hattrick at Christmas that gave the Street the points in the league game at the Portway. Onto the next encounter…