MATCH REPORT | Alresford Town vs Tadley Calleva

Tadley made the trip down the M3 to Alresford this weekend, resuming Sydenhams Wessex League Premier Division action facing an Alresford side lying sixteenth in the division.

Brett Denham returned to the starting 11 after a few weeks away and he was straight into the action after 1 minute seeing his low shot saved by Kempson. Tadley continued their pressure in the fourteenth minute as Hamilton took the ball past two defenders crossing towards the back post. The goalkeeper came to claim the ball but mishandled it, with the ball falling to Denham who couldn’t get a good enough contact to direct the ball at goal.

Coventry then played an accurate pass ahead of Vickers who took the ball down perfectly into his path but his shot flew over the bar, wasting a great chance for the visitors. The goal was coming and after 18 minutes, it was 1-0. Coventry played the ball across the face of goal and Denham was there to tap home. Tadley were well deserving of their lead.

Straight from kick off, Denham was through on goal again but his shot was blocked well. Late in the second half, Coventry won a free kick after holding the ball up well once again. Hamilton took the free kick and it struck a hand in the wall but no penalty was given. The ball then fell into the path of Thorne who’s shot was pushed over by Kempson.

Danny Dolan’s team came out in the second half with the same intent. Tadley started brightly and once again after only a minute they were in on goal. Jake Nicholls flicked the ball onto Denham who ran with the ball. He slid the ball across the face of goal and Thorne was on the end of it. All Thorne had to do was tap it in and it would have been 2-0 but he couldn’t divert the ball into the net.

On the fifty-minute mark, Alresford had a corner which was cleared off the line but the danger wasn’t over. The ball was ricocheting in the six-yard box before O’Brien made a stunning instinctive save from five yards out.

Tadley then went up the other end as Denham saw his shot saved down low by Kempson. In the sixty-fifth minute, Daryll Phillips came on for Paul Coventry and three minutes later Cameron George joined Phillips coming on for Brett Denham. The two substitutes combined as Phillips slotted in George, with the centre-forward finishing superbly. Tadley had finally gotten their second which gave them a comfortable lead.

Minutes later the same pair linked up again as Phillips played a looped ball over to George. George got on the end of the ball but his effort was just wide of the target.

Only a minute later Alresford got a goal back as Rowan Vine scored leaving a tense few minutes for Danny Dolan’s men. The closest the home side came to an equaliser was when the ball was fizzed past O’Brien’s goal. Luckily no one got a touch to direct it goalbound. That was the last of the action as Tadley won 2-1.

Tadley Starting XI: O’Brien, Abrams, Dallimore, Walsh, Nurse, Thorne, Nicholls, Vickers, Hamilton, Denham, Coventry

Subs: George (on for Denham), Phillips (on for Coventry), Pearson (on for Thorne), Thomas

Attendance: 59