HASLEMERE 5, WANDERERS 3

A?DIFFICULT debut season in Hants/Surrey Regional 1 ended on a winning note for Haslemere, albeit against relegated Wanderers.

The three points moves Haslemere to a respectable eighth in the table after their brush with relegation, although Epsom – one point below the Blues – still have a game to play.

Mathematically safe before this game, Haslemere were able to relax and play with the confidence that deserted them through large parts of the season.

They played a full press from the start, looking for early goals. Wanderers defended well and held out for 20 minutes before Nic Cope stepped up to put Haslemere ahead. Cope now needed another four goals to draw level with the league’s top scorer, and he had plenty of support in his quest.

However, chances were missed and the visitors took new heart, retaining possession better and stepping up their attacks.

The defensive unit of Ali Gloak, Chris Fox, Rob Dilworth, Charlie Gregory, Alec Morgan and keeper Bull worked hard to keep their structure, marking tightly and picking their passes.

Eventually, however, the ball fell to Will Dodds in space and a deflected shot looped into the net for the equaliser.

This galvanised Haslemere into finding their shape again and after some snappy passing down the right, Gloak drove into the circle and smashed the ball into the far corner to restore the lead.

As half-time approached, Charlie Millsom powered down the left to the baseline, cut back inside, and after a dummy pass, fired the ball just inside the near post.

A tiring Wanderers began to lose their discipline in the second half and gaps opened for the midfield of Barney Green, Campbell Hancock and Andy Major to exploit.

Eventually, after an elusive run, Cope got his second with a reverse shot from the top of the D.

Haslemere then eased up and Wanderers promptly hit back with a goal from Euan Jones.

But the pace of the game was too much for the Battersea side and Cope dribbled past the defence to complete his hat-trick.

In the dying minutes, Adam Judd converted low to Nick Bull’s right for Wanderers’ third goal.

Haslemere: Bull, Green, Fox, Gloak, Dilworth, Morgan, Gregory, Hancock, Major, Stopher, Cope, Powell, Millsom, Chandler.

* Wimborne’s Sam Butterfield also scored on Saturday and takes the ‘Golden Stick’ with 28 goals, just two ahead of Nic Cope on 26.