Midweek football: Bashley keep up the promotion chase while Brockenhurst, Christchurch and Totton & Eling feature
IT was a challenging night for local sides in the latest round of midweek fixtures, with Bashley’s draw with Melksham Town the most positive result.
Bash took a point off Melksham to keep themselves in an excellent position in the league, occupying third, five points off the top, with a game in hand.
Brockenhurst and Christchurch conceded three goals in losing efforts in the Velocity Wessex Premier Division, while Totton & Eling exited the Velocity Wessex League Cup.
After a razor-close first half at the Veho Community Stadium, Bashley’s Luke Holmes fired towards the bottom right corner from the edge of the area, with the ball hitting the post.
Melksham came out firing, levelling within three minutes of the restart before grabbing a second from a set-piece after a powerful header in the 53rd minute.
The pressure was on, and long-time Bash favourite Conor Whiteley stood up as the match passed the hour mark. The striker spun and buried the equaliser after a decent ball into the box, ensuring the draw.
After a bright start to the season, Brockenhurst’s woes deepened after a 3-0 loss to Baffins Milton Rovers.
The defeat means Brockenhurst have taken just one point from their last seven league games.
Charlie Bell and Harvey Wellham scored to make it 2-0 before Brett Pitman, who spent most of his professional career at AFC Bournemouth in two separate spells, totalling 102 goals in 301 games, scored an outrageous goal with 10 minutes left.
After winning a free-kick on the halfway line, Pitman spotted Will Butler off his line before calmly sweeping the ball into the top corner.
Christchurch came off second best against Hamworthy Recreation, but the match was more evenly balanced than the score would suggest.
Rec led by three goals, courtesy of Aidan Shepherd and a Chris Long brace, by the time Dan Nield pulled one back.
Finally, Totton & Eling put in a valiant effort in the Velocity Wessex League Cup first round against higher league opposition in the guise of Millbrook, who showed no mercy in a five-goal win.