Basingstoke 27 Andover 24
A match report by Andy Waite
This is the division that just keeps giving, as Saxon Safety sponsored Andover once again took part in a thriller on the road at Down Grange last Saturday.
I almost a reverse of last week, this time it was Andover who started badly and allowed the home side to build a seventeen point lead before staging a brave comeback that just fell short.
It seemed throughout that Andover’s pace and mobility would give Basingstoke real problems, but too often the backs in particular failed to recognise overlaps or gave poor passes to let them off the hook.
As the first half wore on the fast-improving home side, who have not beaten Andover for around ten years, grew in confidence and on 26 mins added to their early penalty with a break away try after Andover’s defence was all at sea.
Soon after an interception gifted Basingstoke a further score to look like they’d taken complete control.
Andover had other ideas however and roared back at the home side. After a spell of pressure Basingstoke reciprocated the Andover error as the excellent Louis Shinton charged down and Joey Yates won the race to the loose ball for a try he converted himself.
At the break Andover had hope but Basingstoke soon curbed their enthusiasm. Injuries meant Andover had to keep reorganising and the home side took full advantage with two more unconverted tries.
The normally reliable lineout began to suffer and Andover had to move giant lock and man of the match Tom Erskine to prop in the scrums. He was already having a fine game but really stepped up at scrum time to give Andover some kind of platform.
Andover gained field position and from a short lineout a move involving Shinton and the returning Callum Barber Starkey, saw Shinton crash over to give Andover fresh hope.
Soon after the home side gained a yellow for back chat and Andover took advantage when good hands from Stan North, Bryn Waite and Yates put Harvey Maloney in for a try.
Andover soon pressed again and when Goerge Watson crashed almost to the line, Shinton and Waite again set North free and he scored the all important fourth try.
Unfortunately Watson had to leave the field with a rib injury as Yates converted.
With minutes to go Andover swarmed the home side and went close but time ran out and Basingstoke held on.
After the game senior coach Craig Hodgson said, ‘It’s a bit frustrating that our own accuracy has cost us this game, but you certainly cannot fault the fighting spirit of this side. To keep battling and grab two bonus points at the end in another tough away game, shows we going in the right direction.’