SALISBURY 3, ALDERSHOT & FARNHAM 2

ALDERSHOT & Farnham suffered their first defeat of the season and saw their lead reduced to two points at the top of Hampshire Division One, with arch rivals Bournemouth winning at Weymouth.

A&F’s proud unbeaten record – 14 wins in 15 games, with one draw – was ended by third-placed Salisbury after a close-fought game in Wiltshire.

Salisbury clearly had something to prove and immediately took the game to the leaders with a long aerial ball straight from the push-back.

Unfazed, defender Jamie Weston returned the favour and cleared the Salisbury midfield to release wing Andy Chadwick. And so the pattern was set for attack and counter-attack.

The home team continued their high-pressing game and Hamish Hall made a sharp save at his near post.

But it was Aldershot who drew first blood. Ollie Yelland slipped past two defenders on the right to win a short corner, which he then converted from a deflection off a Marc Hinton drag-flick; 1-0 to the visitors.

The slippery pitch was a major factor in the game and a sliding Charlie Rickett accidentally took out the home centre-forward.

Then it was Salisbury’s turn to overload the opposing defence and win a short corner, from which they forced the ball past the outrushing Rickett and Chris Edwards at the left post for the equaliser.

A&F created a number of chances either side of half-time, Hinton going closest after taking on three players and unleashing a back-stick strike that cannoned off the post.

Rob Jervis nutmegged the keeper, only to see the ball cleared off the line, and a short-corner shot was smartly saved by the keeper down to his left.

Weston, after losing his footing to gift Salisbury a golden chance, recovered superbly to dispossess the onrushing forward.

The earlier misses came back to haunt Aldershot & Farnham as Salisbury struck twice in quick succession from short-corner routines. Ed Rushmere was at fault for the first and the second was a pinball scramble of stick tackles and failed clearances, ending with the ball in the back of the net.

A&F kept their shape and looked to have a chance as Salisbury lost two players to the sin-bin. The visitors duly capitalised and Hinton pulled a goal back after good work by Chadwick and Aaron Buchanan.

Further pressure earned the Farnham side a string of short corners, but they failed to convert as Salisbury threw themselves in front of the ball.

A final effort by Hinton seemed to hit a defender’s knee, but nothing was given and A&F had to take defeat on the chin.

With six games to play, A&F will regroup and hope to come back strongly for the home meeting with mid-table Hamble this Saturday.

The season is boiling up nicely and it could all come down to the last game on March 24 when A&F and Bournemouth go head-to-head on the coast.

A&F squad: Hall, Strachan, Weston, E Rushmere, Rickett, Edwards, Jervis, McCafferty, Whelan, Chadwick, Long, Hinton, Yelland, Buchanan.