(Wessex League Division 1)

For the second successive Saturday, Spurs were unlucky to come up against an excellent side playing well.  For the second successive Saturday, they played a lot of good football, but were unable to succeed against stronger opposition.

The first half started in a lively manner, with opportunities at each end, but Hamble soon took the lead when the Fleet defence were slow to close down centre back Lloyd Webber, who gave keeper Mark Appleby no chance with a powerful drive from just outside the box.  After a period of end-to-end play, the visitors then illustrated their sharpness with two goals in five minutes.  First, sub Ricky Rawlins, on for the injured Paul West, blasted home a low Richard Gregory cross, and on the half-hour mark, skipper James Roden headed a Rawlins cross past the helpless keeper.

Manager Neil Baker made his disappointment with Spurs’ first-half performance clear with a diatribe reminiscent of Fergie – the purple-faced maestro of the Carrington training complex, not the ginger-haired ex-duchess.  It worked, and Spurs came out strongly and held their own.  Indeed Sam Knowles was only foiled by a great save with his legs by 17-year-old keeper John Webb.  Midway through the half, Knowles got on the scoresheet with a well-placed header.  Both sides pressed forward for more goals, but keepers Appleby and Webb were equal to everything that was thrown at them.

Spurs remain in 19th in the league, though if they produce more performances like the second half, they will surely climb the league.  Their goal difference of only minus 7 gives a clear indication of the improvement in performance over 2008/9.  They entertain Hythe & Dibden twice in the next seven days.  On Tuesday it’s the Russell Cotes Cup (kick-off 7.30) and on Saturday a league game (kick-off 3.00).

Spurs Reserves were knocked out of the Aldershot Senior Cup when they went down 1-2 at Bagshot for their first competitive defeat of the season.

In Division 1 of the Aldershot League, Spurs A team climbed into the top half of what looks to be another very hard-fought league with a 2-1 win over Wey Valley, while the Vets fell off the top of Division 3 when they went down 3-4 to BOSC United.