HAMBLE 0, ALDERSHOT & FARNHAM 0

GOALKEEPER Hamish Hall pulled off a string of fine saves in the closing minutes as Aldershot & Farnham played out a goalless draw at Hamble.

The home side saw more of the ball in the opening minutes, but Hampshire 1 leaders A&F held firm to reduce their chances to a single short corner, and then gradually turned up the pressure.

With Hamble playing two forwards, A&F frequently had to re-adjust their marking, but eventually their measured and structured play began to take its toll.

Chances fell to Marc Hinton, Ian Metcalfe and Andy Chadwick, while a series of well-saved short corners suggested that Aldershot could go on to win the game in the second half.

But several more chances went begging after the restart. Hinton flicked inches wide of the far post from a short corner. Then a slick passing move in midfield between Kevin McCafferty and Max Heaphy set up the clearest chance of the game.

Metcalfe’s unselfish pass picked out an unmarked Ollie Yelland, but the Hamble keeper scrambled back to smother the low shot.

With the clock ticking down, A&F changed tactics and there were chances at both ends in a frantic final 20 minutes.

Hall was kept busy and pulled off a vital diving save to deny Hamble in a one-on-one.

An Aldershot breakaway in the dying seconds was unceremoniously snuffed out by the home side’s back-tracking midfield.

The final whistle prevented a last short-corner opportunity for A&F who thus dropped their first points of the season, but remain top of the table on goal difference from Bournemouth.