Alresford Town 0 Moneyfields 2: THE MISFIRING Magpies failed to pick Moneyfields’ pockets, going down to a disappointing home defeat on a cold Arlebury Park night.

The game started evenly, both sides prodding and probing. Moneys left-back Conor Bailey made a dangerous run and crossed to Gary Austin, but Ben Kneller gathered comfortably. It was a move the visitors were to repeat regularly, Bailey getting forward as often as he could to provide a steady stream of crosses to his strikers.

Good work by Cliff Walters and John Mulhern down the Alresford right conjured up a chance for John Howard, but his shot was deflected for a corner. Craig Bryant met the ensuing corner with a firm header, but the ball was hacked away from the Moneyfields goal-line.

Moneyfields threatened again on 18 minutes when Jake Raine made a fine solo run through the middle, beating two defenders, but shot high and wide. On 22 minutes, though, his side took the lead. Austin, who must have been close to offside, ran on to a penetrating ball forward from the right and slotted confidently past Kneller.

Alex Miroy fired over and Austin saw a shot inadvertently blocked by Robbie Pitman as Moneys tried to turn the screw. But just before the break Alresford should have equalised. Mulhern’s cross found Grant Young, whose header looked goalbound. John Howard nipped in to get the final touch, but from an offside position, and the goal was disallowed.

Early in the second half the Magpies brought on Rian Jima-Otero to pep up the attack alongside ex-Andover striker Ollie Yates. But on 52 minutes Moneyfields doubled their lead, the hosts missing their chances to clear and presenting Austin a chance to net his second of the evening.

Austin nearly made it a hat-trick when Kneller fumbled Miroy’s shot, but the keeper reacted quickly enough to recover.

Belatedly, the Magpies started to pose a goal threat. Brian Howard’s neat pass sent Walters through on the right, but from a tight angle his shot was blocked. Then, Jima-Otero sent Mulhern though, but he spurned the chance to shoot, opting to square the ball instead, and the chance was lost.

Austin had another chance to complete his hat-trick on 77 minutes, but Kneller saved his deflected shot with his legs.

Alresford finished with a late flurry, Aaron Blaxall curling a shot wide from the left, while a late Mulhern cross was somehow scrambled away with two players lurking at the far post. The Magpies hadn’t played badly, but – once again – it just wasn’t their day.