Alresford Town 4, AFC Portchester 1

DETERMINED Alresford Town put their FA Cup disappointment firmly behind them by spanking fancied AFC Portchester 4-1 at Arlebury Park on Saturday.

Having gone behind just after the half-hour mark to an Ellis Martin penalty, the Magpies roared back with goals from Dan Vickers, George Hallahan, Shaun Dallimore and substitute Paul Coventry to make it three wins out of three to sit second in the Premier Division of the Wessex League.

Portchester’s lead had lasted barely two minutes when a high cross from the left picked out Vickers, who was allowed to bring the ball down unchallenged and then fire his shot back across goal and into the net, and the Magpies turned the game on its head four minutes before the break when Hallahan curled a free kick over the defensive wall and into the net.

After George Bennett was sent to the sin bin, Alresford made it 3-1 when Dallimore scored with a free header at the near post when he met a corner from the right and the Magpies completed the scoring three minutes from time when the ball was flicked into the box and the visiting defence watched as substitute Coventry dispatched his overhead kick into the net.

On Saturday, Alresford Town are away at rock-bottom Solent University looking to make it four wins from four games.

* On Tuesday night, a youthful Alresford Town side were beaten 1-0 by Lymington Town in the first round of the Hampshire Senior Cup at New Milton.