Andover 6 Micheldever 1

LIONS cruised into the North Hampshire cup final with a tidy win on Tuesday.

Dean Cole was the star up front as the Lions patiently took Micheldever apart at the Portway with some excellent passing play, and there was also a welcome brace for sub Sam Rea.

19-year-old Cole relished the chance to start for the Lions, and took his opportunity to shine by scoring two of the Lions' goals and making two more. The former Paulsgrove striker got things going after 10 minutes when he slipped a couple of tackles, rounded Micheldever's keeper and blasted home off-balance for a superb opener.

Five minutes later, Justin Bennett's good work down the left set up Alan Kennedy for a strike at the far post, and even though the visitors equalised through Edwards straight after, it was clear that Andover had the greater composure and skill.

Bennett was the provider again for Andover's third, as his pass found Cole to leather it home from just inside the box, and Andover could have had more, as Bennett was denied a goal by a brilliant save from the Micheldever keeper.

Substitute Danny Sullivan got Andover's fourth from a free-kick, and then Sam Rea got in on the act with two close-range goals. The relief showed on the big striker's face after he headed home his first, and he followed it up with another towards the end after a superb run to the byline from Cole.

Andover will now face Andover New Street, Stockbridge or Overton United in the final, but manager Howard Goddard said after the game he didn't mind which team the Lions would face.

He told the Advertiser: "The most important thing is that we're in a final, and there's a cup to be won. It's important for us to get our hands on some silverware - if we were to go on and win a cup competition after the summer we had, it would be a fantastic achievement.

"It was a professional performance tonight, and you can't ask for much more than that."