CHICHESTER III 0, ALDERSHOT & FARNHAM 6

ALDERSHOT & Farnham took another stride towards promotion from Hampshire 2 with this resounding win in West Sussex.

The game was identified as a potential banana skin for A&F, due in large part to their limited availability and stretched squad.

Absentees were most notable in the backline, forcing player-coach Ian Jennings into a number of changes. Captain Phil Rushmere and Max Heaphy, both midfielders by trade, stepped back into the defence, with the recalled Aaron Straker taking up position at sweeper.

Rushmere and Straker, the central defensive pairing, were commanding throughout and with Heaphy and Ben Greene providing good wide outlets, A&F had a strong base.

Aldershot’s play was rather sluggish at times, but four well-worked goals in the first half soon snuffed out any Chichester hopes of an upset.

For the first, Greene made a purposeful run through the attacking half before finding Ross Fergusson in the circle and a simple square pass gave Ian Metcalfe an easy tap-in.

Metcalfe then returned the favour, enabling Fergusson to touch the ball past the keeper, the chance originating when the alert Aaron Buchanan took a quick free-hit.

Metcalfe added the third, capitalising on a rebound, before Jackson Brown crossed for Buchanan to tuck home the fourth. Just reward for a steely display by the Scot.

A change in defensive press by A&F further limited Chichester’s attacking options in the second half, despite an equal share in possession.

Metcalfe mugged a defender to set up a chance for Fergusson who hit the post with his first attempt but made no mistake as the rebound fell kindly back to him.

Jennings’ defence-splitting passes always caused Chichester problems and it was the coach who rounded off the scoring with a low drag-flick at a short corner.

A&F: Wilkie, Heaphy, P Rushmere, Straker, Greene, Coote, Jennings, Jervis, Metcalfe, Fergusson, Brown, Buchanan, Yelland.