ANDOVER put in a spirited display in a narrow 12-19 home defeat against unbeaten league leaders Cobham last Saturday.

Playing at Foxcotte park, the Oakwood-sponsored side battled hard against a team who were unlucky to be relegated from London Division One last season.

The All-Blacks were boosted before the game with the return of Callum Staff who played outstandingly at stand off on his first appearance back.

Andover also welcomed back Tom Waite and Sam Froggett and,with Waite in at hooker, Ash Gait switched to open side and put in a man-of-the-match display.

Playing up the slope Andover began well, defending soundly before putting Cobham under pressure.

After just ten minutes Andover took a spectacular lead when, from a lineout, Staff fed Jack Stott who danced his way through the defence to score a superb try converted by Charlie Waite.

Stung into action Cobham asserted themselves and after a penalty and lineout of their own caught the Andover defence narrow to score an unconverted try out wide.

Both defences held firm but just before the break a lapse in concentration allowed the visitors to break through a second time.

Andover came out for the second half full of confidence with the slope in their favour but soon got a further bloody nose when Cobham scored with a well worked try.

Andover roared back at the Cobham defence and controlled the game from then on but were disappointed when a try from Tom Waite was judged to have been held up.

The Andover scrum began to overwhelm Cobham and a string of penalties and good territory followed.

With ten minutes to go after a spell of constant pressure the ball flew to Stott and he needed no second bidding to put Charlie Waite in for another lovely try.

Andover continued to press and had opportunities, but just failed to break through a desperate Cobham rear-guard and had to make do with a losing bonus point.

Coach Andy Waite said: “It was one of those games that could have gone either way, but in the end we just didn’t quite get the rub of the green and perhaps just made the wrong decisions a couple of times.

“We are getting better and I’m sure wins are going to follow soon.”