An improved second half showing from Romsey Town was not enough to salvage a point from their match at Farnborough based Cove last Saturday. 

Cove won the coin toss and elected to play with a gusty wind to their backs which played its part in their taking a two goals’ advantage into the interval, before Town rallied and halved the deficit but could not find an elusive equaliser, writes Tony Galsworthy.

Town boss Andy Samuels gave starting debuts to midfielder Charlie Hewson and striker Archie Greenough as well as welcoming centre half and skipper Craig Bryant back from injury. Romsey made a bright start and soon had the ball in the net when Liam Magee flicked on Josh Gibson’s free kick and Greenough netted from close range, but an offside flag saw his effort chalked off.

The hosts used the strong wind behind them to gain territorial dominance and they also had a goal disallowed for offside before Southwood gave them the lead in the 25th minute. Town failed to clear a cross into the box and although Miles Bartram was able to get a hand to a scrambled effort the ball was tapped in at the far post. A series of unforced errors and misplaced passes kept Romsey under pressure and the hosts doubled their led when a quickly taken throw-in and cross into box allowed Isaac Nash to score with a low drive from twelve yards in the 42nd minute.

The Bypass Boys survived a scare early in the second half when Nash’s long range went just over the bar after Bartram had rushed from his area and miscued his clearance. Cove’s ‘keeper was called into action to punch from beneath the bar a corner from Tiago Moreno, as Romsey enjoyed a spell of possession that coincided with the introduction of Owen Holloway and Alex Wilson from the bench.

When George Ockwell was felled on the edge of Cove’s penalty area, a timely intervention from Samuels on the sideline saw Billy Brackley hand over free kick duties to Bryant, who smashed a low drive into the corner of the net in the 73rd minute. After Greenough went tumbling in the area, Town’s vociferous pleas for a penalty were waved aside and even saw Brackley sent to the sin bin for ten minutes. To compound Town’s woes Charlie Hawes was substituted after suffering a painful elbow injury as the clock wound down on a third successive single goal margin away defeat for them.

On Tuesday evening another long journey to the northeast of the county saw a revitalised Romsey shake off their recent away day blues with a 4-2 triumph at Ash United. First half goals from Josh Gibson and Tiago Moreno gave Town a 2-1 interval lead with a penalty from Craig Bryant and a solo effort by Archie Greenough wrapping up the points before a late consolation goal for the hosts.

Romsey move up to tenth in the table and welcome relegation threatened New Milton Town to The AEC Protection Ground tomorrow (ko 3pm).