ANDOVER Town are perched six points clear at the Sydenhams Premier summit following the weekend’s 2-0 home win over Shaftesbury.

Zach Glasspool opened the scoring ten minutes in, but it was not all plain sailing for the league leaders who had a Micky Hubbard penalty saved by Dan Card with three minutes to go before Jason Silver struck their second two minutes into stoppage time.

Chasing Blackfield & Langley signed off at Gang Warily for 2017 with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth Poppies.

Wing wizard Sam Griffin was the star on top of the Watersiders’ Christmas tree, hitting a sparkling festive hat-trick.

Next up for Blackfield is a Saturday trip to Hamble Club, who fought out a 1-1 draw with fourth-placed neighbours Sholing on Friday.

After a 15-minute delay due to a floodlight failure at The Abbey, Lee Wort got Sholing off to a bright start with an eighth-minute opener.

But the Boatmen were reduced to ten men when Byron Mason received a soft red card early in the second half and their evening went downhill as Mike Byrne prodded home a 74th-minute Hamble leveller and then Marvin McLean was also dismissed late on, seemingly for dissent.

Busy referee Lee Nowacki also brandished seven yellows on an evening of Xmas cards galore, leaving Sholing boss Dave Diaper with just one word to sum up his evening: “Speechless!”

Sydenhams Wessex results.

Premier Division: AFC Portchester 0 Fareham Town 1, Alresford Town 3 Petersfield Town 1, Andover Town 2 Shaftesbury 0, Bemerton HH 0 Portland Utd 0, Blackfield & Langley 3 Bournemouth Poppies 0, Brockenhurst 1 Bashley 1, Hamble Club 1 Sholing 1, Hamworthy Utd 2 Amesbury 1, Lymington Town 2 Newport IW 2, Team Solent 3 Cowes Sports 2.

Division One: AFC Stoneham 4 Verwood Town 0, Andover New Street 3 Romsey Town 2, Laverstock & Ford 3 Downton 2, New Milton 1 Ringwood 1, Totton & Eling 4 Alton 0.