HAVANT III 0, ALDERSHOT & FARNHAM 3

ALDERSHOT & Farnham eased past mid-table Havant 3rd XI with a performance that, although efficient, saw only flashes of their pre-Christmas quality.

After a delayed start, A&F focused on a disciplined display in the bitterly cold conditions.

Havant set up defensively, looking to hit the visitors on the break with a single high forward, but the hard-working Aldershot attack and midfield ensured they never settled and were limited to attempted long balls out of defence.

The Farnham side took the lead after Max Heaphy and Ian Metcalfe had made inroads up the right wing, having been set up by a Chris Edwards line-ball.

A shot from the right looped up across the keeper and was slapped in at waist-height by Ollie Yelland.

The Hampshire 1 leaders continued to press, picking up plenty of interceptions in the midfield. Havant began to hang back and the A&F defence looked comfortable, moving the ball around and probing up both wings.

A ball out from Charlie Rickett to Ed Rushmere at left-half and a quick pass down the line meant Joe Whelan could take possession high up the pitch. Skipping past several defenders, he drove into the D, where a cross-cum-shot deflected off the inside of the keeper’s leg into the goal.

Havant did begin to make progress at this point and a series of attacks won them a short corner – well defended by A&F.

The action swiftly broke to the other end and Marc Hinton made it 3-0 with a delightful back-stick strike after rounding two defenders at the top of the D. This takes his tally to 22 goals in his debut season and maintains his record of averaging a goal a game in all competitions.

A&F carried their positive hockey into the second half, but failed to capitalise on several more chances. Havant also came close, Ed Rushmere stopping a dangerous shot low to his right and Jamie Strachan clearing well from a short corner, awarded when skipper Rickett was banished to the sidelines.

Hamish Hall made a smart save from a deflection, but most of the openings fell to A&F who missed converting a string of short corners. The keeper saved high to his left and right from Hinton’s drag-flicks, while deflections just eluded Metcalfe and Rob Jervis in front of an open goal.

Heaphy was named Man of the Match for his constant work down the right.

• A&F’s only rivals for the title, Bournemouth II, dropped further points with a 0-0 draw at home to Haslemere II. A&F are six points clear with four games to play, but their last fixture is Bournemouth away. A&F host Trojans II this Saturday.

A&F squad: Hall, Rickett, Edwards, E Rushmere, Weston, Strachan, Heaphy, Jervis, Whelan, McCafferty, P Rushmere, Metcalfe, Buchanan, Yelland, Chadwick, Hinton.