WHITCHURCH made the tortuous journey down the A326 to the Waterside on Saturday and received no reward for their effort, going down to a 4-1 defeat, a result that meant their opponents leap-frogged them into fifth place on the table and the visitors can have little complaint at the outcome on the day.

Again down to the bare minimum playerwise, Whitchurch made the first move of note with a Taurean Maunders effort being cleared after he had fastened on to a Jack McCarthy free-kick but the hosts quickly took control and were rewarded when Jesse Gould put them ahead on 13 minutes after a neat build-up.

Whitchurch were on the back foot and Mitch Fear, McAuley Stubbs and Maunders all either blocked or cleared attacks in quick succession as the home side sought a second goal.

Tim Brasseur, in his first game for some time, tidied up another attack in his role as sweeper before some neat control and skill by Danny Phillips took play to the other end without unduly troubling the home defence.

Midway through the half Blackfield were rewarded for their pressure with a soft second goal as the defence failed to clear and Hugh Dathan scored from close range.

Stubbs cleared off the line in a scramble before Scott Hassell and Maunder sent Josh Green clear on the left but the cross was cleared and when Hassell found Matt Austin in space home keeper Jack Nicholson was quickly out to smother the ball at the striker’s feet.

Brasseur again stopped a promising attack before the visitors paid the penalty for not playing to the whistle as Gould notched his second with the defence adamant the ball had gone out of play.

McCarthy was wide after a long run and Brad Snelling had to leave his area to clear before the visitors pulled a goal back just before the break.

Nicholson was at full stretch to turn a Hassell effort round the post but the relief was short-lived as Stubbs forced Ryan Lambert’s corner home for his first goal for the club and reduced the deficit to two.

Tom Lockyer replaced Austin at the start of the second half and the substitute was quickly in action with a saving tackle before Brasseur stopped another attack at the expense of a corner.

Lockyer’s industry gave Whitchurch a little more in midfield before Blackfield wasted a chance to tie the game up by missing a penalty.

Stubbs limped off to be replaced by Tyler Lewis and another break by the industruous Hassell was halted by Nicholson taking the ball off his feet and Whitchurch, giving a much better account of themselves in the second half, went close again when Lockyer lobbed the advancing keeper but the ball landed on top of the net.

Deep into added time substitute Ekow Elliott scored number four and brought the game to a close.

With just two League games left Whitchurch are assured of a high placing which is to the credit of all concerned but with a North Hants Senior Cup Final with Winchester also in the offing manager Bennett could do with a greater availability of players to avoid the season petering out.