Folland Sports 2 Alresford Town 2: THE MAGPIES managed to bring a halt to their run of league defeats – which lasted for nine games – but could only manage a draw against Follands, the only team below them in the table, on Saturday.

Alresford started brightly enough. A change in formation brought its rewards within three minutes when Aaron Blaxall, restored to his more familiar midfield role, met a Simon Everett cross at the far post and placed his header past ex-Magpie Jarid Hixon in the home goal.

The visitors’ lead was short-lived, however. The home side equalised through Matt Andrews from close range following a run down the right and a cross by Cain Prentice.

Everett had the ball in the net soon afterwards, but his effort was disallowed following an offside decision in the build-up. Blaxall had a chance to double his tally and restore the visitors’ lead on 24 minutes, but failed to get a good connection from close range and Hixon was able to gather.

A second half change saw Ryan Davis replacing Dan Molyneaux up front for the visitors, but it was the home side that took the lead on 50 minutes when Carl Steadman’s back-header to keeper John Howard fell woefully short. Howard smothered Andrews’ initial shot, but he was unable to stop Prentice slotting the loose ball home.

Everett had a shot from 20 yards that was just wide of the target, and sub Davis managed to drag his close range effort wide of the post following a good run down the left and cross by Ben Stanbrook.

Alresford finally grabbed their equaliser on 69 minutes when Brian Howard split the home defence with a through ball from the halfway line. That enabled John Mulhern to slip his marker and finish neatly in the bottom left hand corner past Hixon.

The visitors were reduced to ten men on 85 minutes when Davis picked up his second yellow, but continued to press. However, they were unable to find the winner and the game ended as a draw.

The result maintains the two-point gap between the two teams, but does neither of them much good in their quest to escape from the relegation spots.

With home games against AFC Portchester, Blackfield and Langley and Newport (IOW) and away games against Andover and Bemerton the writing is surely on the wall for the Magpies – unless they enjoy a miraculous upturn in form over the final three weeks of the season.