Alresford Town 3 Team Solent 3: THE MAGPIES shared the spoils with Team Solent in their first home league game of the season, a full-throttle and sometimes tempestuous encounter that gave the crowd their money’s worth.

Alresford took the lead on 22 minutes after good work by Jamie Bentley and Tom Donaldson on the right. John Mulhern whipped in a deep cross, and Ben Unsworth headed his first senior goal past George Passingham.

On 28 minutes the Magpies were punished for failing to clear a corner. Mark Jordan responded with a fine strike that went in off the angle of bar and post.

Alresford scored two minutes before the break when Donaldson’s bouncing shot deceived Passingham, who fumbled the ball into the net.

The second half was even more eventful than the first, with Solent making most of the chances. Alresford resisted until the 65th minute, when John Howard upended Mitchell Speechley-Price as he tried to round the keeper.

The tight angle meant that Howard was shown a yellow card rather than a red, and Jordan fired home the penalty to make it 2-2.

The Magpies went 3-2 up on 71 minutes. Sam Carter’s precision cross from a free kick found the head of Bentley, who finished powerfully.

The hosts failed to hold on to their lead, with an 84th minute goalmouth scramble resulting in player-manager James Taylor scoring.

Liam Magee was shown his second yellow card of the evening in added time, but there was no further scoring as both sides banked a point.