ALRESFORD TN 5, ASH UTD 0

TWO goals from debutant Bill Puckett set Alresford on the way to a comfortable victory over Ash in the Aldershot Senior Cup on Tuesday.

Conditions were perfect for passing football and the Magpies, although struggling in the league, quickly showed their Step 5 pedigree against the Combined Counties Division One outfit.

Alresford went ahead on nine minutes when John Mulhern’s free-kick was nodded across the box by Ben Dexter and Puckett swooped to open his account with a neat header.

Ex-Alresford goalkeeper Danny Leeds, returning to Arlebury Park, could do nothing about that and, a few minutes later, he limped off, to be replaced by Taylor Jackson.

But Jackson was soon picking the ball out of the net as well. Puckett was again the scorer with a neat side-foot finish from Ben Unsworth’s pass.

Alresford were finding space all over the field, Simon Everett impressing with his intelligent prompting and vision in midfield.

The third goal, on 33 minutes, was again down to the Unsworth-Puckett combination up front. This time, Puckett sent Unsworth through and the striker shrugged off his marker before slotting under the diving Jackson.

The Magpies underlined their superiority with a fourth goal on 41 minutes. Ash failed to clear a corner and Puckett’s low shot was parried by Jackson for Dexter to tap home from six yards. It was the centre-back’s first goal for the club.

With the game effectively over, the second half was less of a spectacle. Alresford sent on another debutant, Rian Jima-Otero, in place of Unsworth, and he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet too, Jackson denying him with a superb fingertip save.

Jamie Bentley scored the Magpies’ fifth with a precise header from a free-kick.

At the other end, Mike Weatherall was rarely troubled, despite the best efforts of giant Ash striker Taylor Mitchinson and nippy Croatian, Sam Tarasenko.