It is not about the score line.....

The Boys came up against their strongest opponents to date in the quarter finals of the Cup competition. When faced with playing Fareham you know it is going to be tough, but when faced with playing their first team rather then their second team it is mission impossible and rather than worry about the scoreline it is all about how we play as a team.

Fareham came out as expected with all guns blazing and put on a spectacle of how to work the ball around the D to find the space for the shot. The Andover boys were somewhat challenged by the pace and skill of the Fareham team and went 2-0 down after 8 minutes. As a measure of their determination Andover pulled one back with a great shot from Jonah from a shot corner. Fareham quickly rallied and clatted ball after ball in to the net despite the determined defending from Lewis (player of the match) and the rest of the Andover defence. Soon the boy's heads were dropping as the score mounted.

A chat at half time reinvigorated the team as they realised that it was not about winning or losing in a game like this, but about enjoying the challenge and playing their best. The second half saw a marked change as the boys throttled the Fareham attack, keeping them out for the first 10-15 minutes of the second half before tiredness set in. The level of grit and determination showed by all the players, and the challenges we made time after time showed a side to the boys that can sometimes be missing.

Despite the scoreline it was a solid performance from the Andover side and we can all be proud of how each and every player performed. Onward and upward.