Fawley 0 Whitchurch United 3.

Whitchurch were forced to juggle their limited resources again for the trip to relegation threatened Fawley with Pa Touray, Matt Scott and Chris Smalley all missing from the side that lost at Brockenhurst in midweek though they were able to include Adam Pearson after a three match absence through injury.

The visitors had an early free-kick in a dangerous position but Nic Turpin’s shot was wide before Tom Lockyer and Dave Asker combined to send Isaac Sedu away with the speedy winger’s cross causing some confusion in the home penalty area. Asker, fondly remembered by Andover fans of old, was rolling back the years in the unaccustomed position of right back and it was his precision cross that gave the Jamboys the lead, Macey having the simple job of heading home at the far post.

Turpin was just too high after neat work by Sedu and though the youthful Fawley side showed energy and determination and at times no mean skill, they lacked any form of cutting edge to worry Pearson and Ally Brown at the heart of the visitors’ back four. Shane Lock, whose work rate was beyond question chased back to stop a threatening Fawley attack before the last action of the half saw a Curtis Angell free-kick saved at the foot of the post.

Fawley, mindful of their plight as regards the league table, came out strongly after the break and Whitchurch were forced on the defensive with goalkeeper Cray Sams holding on to a fierce drive from substitute Ben Murphy.

Slowly the Whitchurch midfield, through the energy of Lock and Lockyer, regained the initiative though Sams had to deal with another long range effort. Nick Chandler and Alex Pickering, the latter another returning from injury, replaced Macey and Lock, with Pickering quickly making his presence felt moving on to a Sedu through ball and seeing his shot parried by the home keeper with Turpin stabbing the loose ball home to double the lead.

Two Fawley free-kicks on the edge of the area in quick succession brought a Sams save and an Angell block on the line before Whitchurch put the game beyond doubt with a third goal. Angell found Turpin in the box, the defender’s tackle was late and Pickering slotted home the spot-kick. Whitchurch could have had a second penalty but the referee called play back because of two balls being on the pitch but it mattered little as the final whistle heralded a deserved victory and the end of a rather barren spell.

John Gorman