Blackfield & Langley 3 Alresford Town 2: ALRESFORD Town lost out by the odd goal in five after putting up a strong performance at title hopefuls Blackfield on a chilly winter’s afternoon at Gang Warily.

The Magpies were missing all three of the players who had made their debuts against Horndean the previous Saturday for a variety of reasons. They gave a debut to midfielder Aaron Blaxall, newly signed from Fleet Town, while Carl Steadman, returning to Alresford after spending 2015 in Sydenhams Division 1 with AFC Stoneham, was on the bench.

The first couple of minutes featured some promising probing by the visitors. But when Blackfield got hold of the ball they scored almost immediately. A diagonal left-wing cross found Sam Lanahan unmarked on the six-yard line, and he headed past Mike Weatherall with ease.

The goal set the tone for the first half of the game, with the Watersiders dominating territory but failing to subdue a stubborn Alresford rearguard despite some enterprising play from Lanahan and Jake Rowley. But the Magpies had a fine chance to equalise on 43 minutes when Tom Donaldson surged through from midfield and found John Howard on the right side of the box. Howard aimed for the bottom left corner, but home keeper Chad Collins dived to make a fine fingertip save.

The first 45 minutes had not been the most thrilling of spectacles. But the game sprang to life straight after the break. Alresford brought on Cliff Walters to play up front, while Howard went in goal to replace hamstring victim Weatherall. And Walters scored his first Magpies goal on 47 minutes with a fine near post header from Donaldson’s free kick.

Alresford could only maintain parity for 30 seconds. The Watersiders went straight down the field and Lanahan made it 2-1.

That threatened to knock the stuffing out of the visitors. It was no real surprise when, on 54 minutes, Rico Wilson skipped past his marker and fired low past Howard from a tight angle to make it 3-1.

The Magpies fought on, and pulled it back to 3-2 on 75 minutes through Bill Puckett, who swivelled to fire into the bottom left corner following a pump forward from substitute Ben Thomson.

Blackfield still threatened, with Callum Pilley-Cunliffe prominent in advanced positions, but Alresford almost snatched a late point when the hard-working Blaxall set up Donaldson for a shot which Collins did well to parry.

So close, but no cigar for the Magpies, who remain second from bottom of the table and are now five points from safety after this narrow defeat.