County Cup Chasm Continues

Chineham, our last representatives in the County Cups had to travel to FILO of the Winchester League in the Hampshire Sunday Junior A Cup round 4 on the first Sunday of the year, writes Tony Spencer. Unfortunately, they found the home side FILO no powder-puffs and went down 4-1, Steve Emerson scoring Chineham's only goal. A valiant effort by the Division 2 side to get further than any other local side in the county cup competitions.

The last thing that Dayers Fine Foods wanted to face immediately after the Christmas excesses was a fit Army side, Tidworth Town, in the Basingstoke Kelvin Cup. The visitors were hard as nails and ready to run any opposition ragged. Despite a George Lagden strike, Dayers were 1-3 down at halftime and facing a rout. So the home side put all their efforts into maintaining a stiff rearguard action to keep the score down to a respectful level, the game ending 1-4 in arrears.

South View also appeared to be suffering from their festive excesses, going down 0-10 to visitors Republic of Chineham. This was South View's third successive home defeat, and Republic of Chineham's second victory of the season over their hosts.

Division 3 side AFC Golden Lion went down fighting in the Bernard Cornish Cup, losing 3-5 against Division 2 side New Inn. Byron Letch, Richard Anthony and Matthew Spargo netted for Golden Lion. New Inn scorers were Richard Garry a single, with braces from Steve Bean and Ed Hall. The visitors have now gone three games without defeat.

FC Everest take their unbeaten record this season into the new year, with a run of eight wins on the trot. They beat North Warnborough Two for the second time this season with a 4-2 scoreline. Everest opened the scoring 1-0, the only score in the first half. The visitors made a couple of changes at the interval, which had immediate effect, when just two minutes into the second half Pete Keens equalised for North Warnborough. However, the hosts scored twice more to restore their lead 3-1. Trevor Rogers narrowed the gap to 3-2 but the comeback was frustrated by an own goal from the visitors, the game ending 4-2 in Everest's favour.

Lee Head and Chris Rowe put UWS 2-0 ahead in their tie against Division 3 side Soldiers Return Reserves. The visitors staged a superb comeback with Andy Butler's brace levelling the score before Ben Allnut fired in Soldiers' winner five minutes from the end, to finish 2-3 to the underdogs.

In Division 1 Basingstoke Saints were beaten 2-5 by Kaiser Wessex, who completed their league double over their hosts, ending a drought of six games without a win. Rick Pike scored both Saints' goals. Andrew Gethin racked up four goals, one of them from a ball over the top which he controlled perfectly with his first touch and finished into the top corner with his second. Marvin White added the fifth goal with an unstoppable volley from the edge of the area into the top corner of the net.

Tron put four goals past league leaders Lamb Inn, without reply. Dave Parry nabbed a brace, Ross Soper-Dyer and Jesse Todd added one each. This was more than adequate revenge for a defeat by Lamb earlier in the season, and was Tron's fifth win on the trot, which lifts them to second in the table. Lamb Inn's form is dipping, having suffered three defeats in the last four games, so they may be looking over their shoulders with some apprehension.

Only one game played in Division 3, when bottom side DG Athletic entertained leaders Eastrop Eagles. Liam Rump and Matt Leroyd scored for DG Athletic, while Paul Adams, Nathan Bennis and Bobby Frost secured a 2-3 victory for Eastrop Eagles, their fourth straight win. DG Athletic's form is still impressive though, despite this defeat, the bottom of the league side have lost only twice in the last five matches, so have every chance of turning their season around in the months to come.