FOLLAND SPORTS 0 WHITCHURCH 2.

Whitchurch, already Wessex League Cup semi-finalists, moved into the last eight of the Hampshire Senior Cup, probably for the first time in their history, with a hard earned win at Hamble on Tuesday night.

Two goals in the opening 15 minutes of the second half saw them through a game in which the hosts started and finished the stronger but lacked the cutting edge to reward their possession.

Boss Jim Macey was once again delighted with his side’s performance and place in the quarter-finals which he said was “fully deserved – we tore them apart at times and everyone did their job in what is squad which believes it can beat anyone.”

Macey brought in Curtis Angell and David Asker from the side that drew at Portchester three days earlier and survived an early scare as Tom Hindmarsh blocked a close range effort from Ryan Long and saw the follow up bounce to safety off the post. Ex-Lion Jamie Barron saw a fierce shot blocked by one of his team mates before Whitchirch moved forward with both Pa Touray and Shane Locke too high from distance.

Home goalkeeper Ryan Gosney dealt untidily with a Pa Touray cross before leaving his area to deny Shane Lock then held onto an Angell free-kick and was at full stretch to turn away another effort from the same player before Follands posed the last threat of the half with Alex Easton shooting wide after Whitchurch had lost possession on the edge of their area.

Five minutes into the second half the visitors took the lead when Angell, who had already seen a shot saved, played the ball into the area, Nic Turpin’s neat flick found Isaac Sedu in space and the winger coolly slotted the ball past Gosney. Angell, a constant attacking threat on the left was high with a fre- kick before the hard running Long fastened on to a through ball but Hindmarsh was quckly down to block the shot. The visitors added their second goal on the hour when Angell, again allowed far too much space, moved forward to curl the ball inside Gosney’s left hand post. A Turpin shot was held at the second attempt by the keeper before the home side gained more of the possession as the game drew to its close.

Tom Lockyer replaced Asker and as Hamble threw their big men forward Adam Pearson and Brown at the heart of the defence dealt with crosses and shots alike, though in one goalmouth scramble Follands did everything apart from putting the ball in the net. Alex Pickering collected two yellow cards in as many minutes but the ten men survived the late onslaught to take their already praiseworthy season a further step forward.

“Scott Hassell and young Locky are playing out of their skin and Pearson at the back was immense again tonight, said Macey. “I told the boys whatever happens now to just go out and enjoy their season and see what it brings.”

The Jam Boys go to Verwood Town on Saturday and then Lymington Town on Tuesday night for Wessex League matches.

John Gorman