UNI OF PORTSMOUTH 1, HASLEMERE II 2

HAVING recorded only their second win of the season in Hampshire 1 the previous week, Haslemere 2nd XI followed up with a vital victory against lowly University of Portsmouth.

The key to Haslemere’s survival in this league is beating the teams below them, and this they achieved on Saturday, albeit with a late scrambled winner.

The game had been switched to Chichester and, after a delayed start, Haslemere dominated the first half without any reward.

Maintaining possession and cutting out any University attacks with ease, Haslemere created several decent chances, but the Portsmouth keeper made a couple of fine reaction saves and a clearance off the line kept the score to 0-0 at half-time.

Haslemere took their self-belief into the second half and with the students offering very little, it was the visitors’ game to lose. Alastair Gloak was looking increasingly dangerous down the right, beating players with consummate ease, and he finally provided the cross for Charlie Millsom to slot home on the turn. One-nil to Haslemere, and richly deserved.

But they followed up with 25 minutes of sub-standard hockey: unnecessary dribbling, missed tackles, poor decision-making.

This played into University’s hands and they scored a simple equaliser from a short corner.

With Ollie Head and Will Hams carrying injuries and Matt Putnam spending time on the sidelines for both green and yellow cards, the midfield was depleted and Haslemere were flirting with defeat.

But then Alasdair McGregor and Ed Easton entered the fray and were terrific, breaking down play, finding the front men and maintaining the energy levels.

Finally, after many more attempts, including a sliding reverse-stick miss from Zac Thomas, Haslemere got their goal. A short corner resulted in a scramble before the ball found Tom Gee at the back post. With University appealing for a ‘foot’, he swept the ball into the empty goal to give his side back a lead which they kept to the finish.

Haslemere II host Havant III in a tough fixture this Saturday.

Haslemere II: Short, Gloak, McGregor, Gee, Hediker, Head, Putnam, Hams, Thomas, Millsom, A Dennis, Appan, Cashman, Easton.