Alresford Town 3 Bournemouth Poppies 6: ALRESFORD’S plight near the bottom of the Wessex League Premier Division deepened as Bournemouth Poppies, who started the game ahead of their hosts only on goal difference, ripped the home defence apart on route to a 6-3 victory.

For the first couple of minutes the Magpies appeared to pose the greater threat. But once Poppies settled down they took the hosts to pieces with swift passing and the ability to get forward quickly. They took enough of their numerous chances to leave Alresford trailing in their wake.

The lively Kabba Jack soon had the home defence at sixes and sevens. And after he’d prompted a couple of close shaves Alresford failed to clear their lines after a spell of pressure and Fawzi Saadi opened the scoring with a stunning scissor-kick from the edge of the box.

Saadi also scored Poppies’ second ten minutes later, ghosting through on the left and slotting the ball under the advancing Mike Weatherall.

Alresford’s John Mulhern limped off soon afterwards, to be replaced by Rian Jima-Otero. But, undeterred, the visitors continued to make the running, and on 34 minutes Jack made it 3-0 from close range after Saadi and Bryce Banfield had opened up the Magpies’ defence with some neat passing.

Alresford were better going forward in the second half, but the centre of their defence was still shipping water. On 52 minutes Jack skipped onto an Ami Rosario pass, beat both home centre-backs and clipped the ball into the bottom left corner. And seven minutes later Luke Ayrton made it 5-0 with a perfectly-struck first-time half-volley from the edge of the box.

Brian Howard kindled hopes of a home fightback on 60 minutes, running through a static Bournemouth defence and firing in a swirling shot that Eliot Broome fumbled into his own net. Three minutes later Ben Dexter dragged it back to 5-2, rising highest to emphatically head home a left-wing corner.

Was the unlikeliest of comebacks on the cards? Not likely. On 76 minutes Jack completed his hat-trick with a tap-in after Rosario had got past Weatherall on the right and squared for the striker to finish off.

There was still time for the hardy crowd to appreciate a ninth goal. Howard made it 6-3 with two minutes to go, again running at the centre of the visiting rearguard and clipping a neat shot past Broome.

But the three goals the Magpies scored did little to paper over their defensive shortcomings. They travel to Brockenhurst – a side that have already beaten them twice this season – next Saturday in their last game before a welcome Christmas break.