BASHLEY 4, ALRESFORD TN 2

ALRESFORD are having a torrid time with injuries this year and defeat to a strong Bashley side on Saturday was no real surprise.

The Magpies will take comfort from a much-improved showing in the second half and the fact that they remain a creditable fifth in the Sydenhams Premier League table.

With three changes from the side that had beaten Newport 3-0 in midweek, Alresford were taken apart by a fired-up Bashley in the first half.

The home club had worked wonders to get their pitch playable and, despite the clinging surface, Bashley blew the Magpies out of the sky with some fast, attacking football, scoring four times before the interval.

The opening goal was a cracker. On two minutes, winger Harry McGrath prised open the Alresford defence and then Harrison White’s through-pass picked out Conor Whiteley who, after a great first touch, turned to volley home from the edge of the box.

With the visitors firmly under the cosh, Dan Munday was brought down in the box and Lewis Ross converted the penalty to double the lead.

The floodgates were threatening to open, but Alresford regrouped and a rampant Bashley were kept at bay until close to half-time when White and McGrath again combined to work the ball forward and a defence-splitting final pass sent Mundy racing through to beat Dan Kempson.

And it was a double-whammy for the Magpies. In the final moments of the half, Munday provided the assist for Ross to score his second goal and give Bashley a comfortable lead.

It was a very different Alresford who emerged for the second half and Bashley needed their four-goal cushion as the visitors fought to make up lost ground.

On the hour-mark, Sam Burt came off the bench and, minutes later, it was the substitute who beat keeper Mike Edgar to finish off a breakaway move.

Playing for pride, this was more like the old Magpies, but Burt’s goal looked like being their only reward as Bashley fell back on disciplined defence.

In the 90th minute, Edgar pulled off a triple save to frustrate Alresford, but, from the resulting corner, Lukas McCartney, another substitute, headed home to make it a more respectable scoreline. Pity about that first-half shellacking.

• Tuesday’s scheduled Andover Open Cup match between Andover and Alresford was postponed due to a frozen pitch. This Saturday, Alresford are due to host AFC Portchester. On Wednesday (Feb 14), the Magpies are away to Overton in a North Hants Senior Cup tie.