Game 4: Laverstock & Ford 0.3 Andover (Friendly) 28.07.09

I decided to visit the Dell for the visit of the “auld enemy” – no, not Scotland but for those like me who remember watching Salisbury in their Southern League days, Andover was the fixture that we used to look out for first! Although it was cloudy and overcast when I left home, the rain stayed away so this was the first July game this season where I didn’t need an umbrella!


Since my last visit to Laverstock, a ticket entrance has been installed and I paid the £3 admission before wandering round the ground to my usual spot to the left of the dugouts. As I walked round the teams came out on to the pitch and the game was soon underway. The referee was a familiar face and he handled both sets of players well, explaining his decisions and maintaining discipline while using common sense.



Andover had the best of the possession in the first half but the first clear cut chance fell to Laverstock. Their right winger was extremely quick and managed to keep the ball in at the far goal line when the Andover defence had assumed that the ball would go for a goal kick. He ran along the goal line, cut back past a defender and had a shot that went over the bar.



The game was flowing from end to end. Andover had a corner and played the ball to the edge of the box. The resulting shot was low and on target until the Laverstock keeper touched it wide. From the resulting corner Andover took the lead after 20 minutes. The ball was crossed from the right touchline into the centre of the box where the unmarked centre half rose and firmly headed it in.


Five minutes later and it was two nil from another defensive error. This time a Laverstock player ignored his goalkeeper’s instructions to leave a ball and played a header to where he thought the keeper would be. The keeper had moved out further to the edge of the area to collect the ball and left an open goal so when the header went past him, the oncoming Andover striker just had to collect the ball and knock it into the net which he duly did.



Laverstock rallied towards the end of the half and put another shot low past the post. Just before half time they had another chance from a well taken corner. The ball was played with pace from the left side of the pitch and the striker had a free header but almost seemed to connect too well when glancing his header towards goal which took the ball over the bar instead. They had time to earn another corner, this time from the right side, but the header again ended up over the bar.


This pattern continued in the second half. Laverstock continued to create some good chances but the shots and headers rarely threatened the Andover keeper. One of the best chances was in the 46th minute when a Laverstock striker volleyed the ball over the bar from a cross when it looked easier to score. They came even closer in the 53rd minute when a shot from distance went over the keeper, hit the underside of the bar and bounced down and back into play. Laverstock managed to keep the attack alive and the Andover keeper was forced to make a good save.



The game continued to be end to end as both teams were giving away possession in midfield. Former Salisbury youth player Eddie Perrett had a good chance for Laverstock in the 60th minute but the Andover keeper came out quickly to smother the ball at this feet. Andover created a couple of chances and almost added a third midway through the half with a shot that the Laverstock keeper did well to get a hand to. His wrist strength was sufficient to push it away from goal and the ball was cleared.



Andover scored a deserved third goal in a breakaway attack after 80 minutes. A Laverstock pass was intercepted on the halfway line and two Andover players ran forward. The player without the ball on the left wing was unmarked but his team mate decided not to pass to him and took the defence on by himself. After a few turns he managed to deceive the defender long enough to get into the box and hit a shot past the keeper and in. It was a good job that he did score, as the bench was up in arms about him not passing a few seconds earlier!



Laverstock almost scored a consolation goal in the 86th minute thanks to some slack Andover defence. The keeper received a pass back that didn’t have enough pace on it. This forced him to play a low clearance and allowed a Laverstock player to run in to challenge. The ball bounced back of his legs but luckily for the Andover keeper it didn’t rebound on target and the defence were able to clear the ball away.