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Sunday 16 March 2014

Town Claim Derby Win - Andover New Street vs. Andover Town

Spring arrives in Hampshire
With the winter deluge now firmly behind us, I am now able to chose a game and not frantically check twitter and the BBC weather site. This week I opted for the Andover derby between New Street and Town. I had planned to visit Andover earlier in the season for Town's top of the table clash against Petersfield but that game fell foul of the weather. This match pitched top of the table against second from bottom. Town in their first ever season were top of the league and had a great chance to win the title. Earlier in the season they were involved in a penalty shoot out where the first twenty nine penalties were scored. New Street were second from bottom in the league at the start of play.

Early stages at Foxcotte Park
Town take an early lead when the New Street defender tries to play the ball across his own box and is punished as the forward picks up the ball and smashes it home. New Street almost respond immediately and it takes a great saving tackle to deny the forward a clear shot at goal. It is then the visitors turn to nearly score as the keeper makes a great save following a mistake by a defender. The Town defence then makes another goal saving tackle as New Street almost break through again. Town now begin to dominate and it takes a great double save from the New Street keeper to keep his side in touch. The Town winger is able to put a great ball in to the box but no one can connect. The visitors then create an even better chance as the winger gets to the byline but the forward fails to properly connect to the pull back.

There was a decent crowd for the derby
Town start on the front foot in the second half and it takes a brilliant save and then a perfectly timed challenge to stop Town running away with it. They have another couple of half chances before New Street are able to break out but the forward lacks support. Town are then given a great chance to finish the game as they are awarded a penalty for a blatant hand ball by the centre back. The New Street keeper is able to produce a fine save from the penalty and then from the rebound to keep the score at one nil. The Town forward is then played in, he rounds the goalie but the New Street defenders are able to get back and clear the ball off the line. The away side do soon extend the lead as a daisy cutter from distance finds the bottom corner of the net. Town are again played in and the forward is able to round the goalie again but this time the ball is put in to the side netting. Town hit the bar in the closing moments as they go on to claim a two nil win. 

The New Street keeper claims a first half Town corner
Trains to Andover depart from Waterloo and the journey takes just under an hour. The ground and the town centre are on opposite sides of town to each other. Before the game I went to The Town Mills which is pretty much on the river and was quite a nice setting. The walk from the station to the ground takes around twenty five minutes. The last section is not lit and there is no path so I wouldn't recommend doing the walk for a night game. The clubhouse was decent and extremely welcoming. It also had Sky Sports. In between the ground and the station is The Royal Oak by the picturesque village green of Charlton.


An informative programme was produced for the game. There was a match report from the previous match and there was a history of both sides.

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