Fine rearguard rewarded (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Fine rearguard rewarded

12:43am Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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Lions 0 Cirencester Town 0.

Andover made it seven points in ten days as a superb defensive performance earned them a share of the spoils against high-flying Cirencester at the Portway on Tuesday evening, a point that increased in importance as other results largely went for the Lions on the night.

Andover showed two changes from Saturday’s win over Bracknell with Lee Burch coming in for the suspended Danny Urry and Adam Wiltshire replacing Luke Baker and were quickly put under pressure by a Cirencester side that enjoyed something of a height advantage all over the pitch.

Ben Chambers fired into the side netting in the first home attack of any note and Bobby Swayne’s back header from an Adam Gatcum cross passed just the wrong side of the post with keeper Matt Bath scrambling across his line. The Lions survived a couple of goalmouth scrambles and Dave Hook saved well from Rob Hoskin but the visitors were finding clear cut chances difficult to come by and the half finished with Bath denying Chambers at the second attempt and the dangerous Jody Bevan well stopped by Mark James.

Again the visitors were quicker off the mark on the restart but the first threat on goal came from a Lee Burch effort from 30 yards that was only inches wide and the same player headed narrowly over from a long Chambers’ cross. Cirencester were enjoying more of the possession but the tackling and covering of the Lions’ defence, with Michael Byrne and James outstanding again, kept the chances down to a minimum with the visitors eventually forced to replace the free-scoring Bevan as they sought the breakthrough.

Neither side could fashion a winner but it was the Lions who left the field the happier with manager Andy Leader delighted with his side’s performance.

Hook, Sadler, Byrne, James, Gatcum, Gooding, Wiltshire, Swayne, Keogh, Burch, Chambers.

Davies, Sangha, Baker, Scott, Andrews.