TADLEY Calleva will be hoping to keep their excellent start to the season going when they entertain fellow Wessex League Premier rivals Baffins Milton Rovers in the FA Cup on Saturday.
On Tuesday night, newly promoted Tadley made it two wins out of two in the Premier Division with a 3-0 home victory over Bemerton Heath Harlequins.
All the goals came in the second half with Brett Denham scoring twice.
It was Denham who posed the first threat on goal fastening in to Elliott Amadeu’s pass only to be denied by goalkeeper Lewis Watch’s legs and the same player was wide after a neat build up.
A couple of Bemerton corners came to nothing but the home side survived a scare when goalkeeper Freddie Gee fumbled a low drive from Callum Kitcher and had to save bravely at the player’s feet to rescue the situation.
Denham failed to make contact with an Anadeu cross before the winger was too high with a header as Tadley largely dominated possession. Bemerton's best effort of the half saw Jake Smith’s header saved at full stretch after a flowing move had created the chance but it was the home side who finished the stronger with Amadeu again too high and then stopped by a last ditch challenge by Danny Field.
No score at the break but within 60 seconds of the re-start Tadley were ahead.
Andrew Charsley’s long throw from the left was headed on by Shaun Dallimore and the ball was bundled home at the far post by Denham. Sam Hamilton’s persistence won a corner that came to nothing and a thunderous drive from Aaron Parfitt thudded against the crossbar.
Bemerton showed they were not out of the game with Gee saving from Jack Slade and Elliott Cross in quick succession and the ball striking the outside of the post in a goalmouth scramble.
The home side still however looked the most likely to score and did so again with twenty five minutes gone when Parfitt’s angled cross from the left was volleyed home by Denham at the far post.
On a muggy evening both sides made full use of their substitutes and it was one of the home side’s replacements that made the game safe with fifteen minutes remaining.
Cameron George chased a long bouncing clearance, the visiting goalkeeper was marooned in no man's land having unwisely left his line, and the striker calmly headed the ball in to the vacant net.
From there Tadley rather coasted home though they nearly added a fourth in the closing seconds when a bullet header from Denham from George’s cross came back off the crossbar.
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