Andover 4 Taunton Town 3.

IT TOOK five months of blood, sweat and tears but on Tuesday Andover broke their duck and not only recorded a victory, but completed the double over fellow strugglers Taunton.

It was enough to climb off the bottom of the table, where they had been since the Saturday, but it was tinged slightly with the news that Winchester had won at Gosport Borough, tomorrow’s visitors. In fact it was Bracknell losing at home to Burnham which meant Lions stay on the basement rung was mercifully short lived.

The football which Mick Catlin’s side played without luck for 20 minutes on Saturday was there again, but with the added bonus of goals and those negotiating the car park on kick-off time would have missed the opener which came inside 30 seconds. From their first possession Bobby Swayne moved forward and fed the ball wide on the left and it reached Ashley Jarvis whose crisp right footer flew past Lloyd Irish in the Taunton goal.

The introduction of Mike Turvey almost paid dividends a moment later as another ball came across from the left and his snap volley went wide. It mattered little as within three minutes Lions were 2-0 up. Turvey’s skill put Jarvis in and although he lost control Alex Ward was there to lob home.

Taunton were all at sea and Kyle Swayne flicked on to set Nic Eastham free on goal but he shot wide which may well have put the game to bed with less than 20 minutes gone. The Somerset side eventually got a toe hold on the game and Danny Lane had a shot saved by Steve May, playing in place of Anthony Enders, who had returned to Wick. Lane looked dangerous and just before the half hour he finished off a nice move to make it 2-1. Eastham then went close again as the teams threatened to emulate the 6-3 scoreline of recent times before Bobby Swayne had a header cleared off the line.

May kept out an effort from the rotund Shaun Anthony before Turvey crossed at the other end and Eastham’s half volley on the stretch came back off the post.

After the break Lions went back on the prowl and on 50 minutes Rory Williams launched a free-kick which Matt Jones headed on and Eastham was there to nod in from close range to make it 3-1. Taunton were not finished and a minute later Luke Cole’s free-kick was nodded home by Scott Thomas who was given the freedom of the penalty area.

Taunton were then on top and just before the hour they rode their luck when gangly Leon Simpson escaped and was tripped on the edge of the area. With all expecting a red card, referee Bull took advice from his linesman and was satisfied with yellow, much to the disgust of the travelling support behind the goal. The free-kick went wide and Lions rubbed salt into the gaping wound on the rebound as Kyle Swayne’s superb run and cross was finished off by the impressive Ward on the hour. That should have been it but Taunton came back again and on 70 minutes another Anthony free-kick was nodded in by Owen Irish to set up a grandstand finish.

Catlin threw on Stuart Gates for the last ten minutes as home nerves frayed but they stayed solid and took the points to provoke and audible sigh of relief which could have been heard in Ludgershall.

With Gosport on a poor run at the moment, tomorrow takes on a whole new meaning but with eight goals conceded in two games, including three against a side as poor as Taunton, and Justin Bennett in town, it will be interesting stuff.

May, Buckland, Williams, B Swayne, M Jones, Roden, Turvey, Ward, Eastham, Jarvis, K Swayne. Subs: Murphy, Barron, Andrews, Gates, Magee.