FLEET have struck the first blow in the heavyweight battle with Andover for the Jewson Wessex League title.

Steve Beeks' men are two points clear at the top with a thrilling 5-3 win over the defending champions at the Portway Stadium last night.

But the wounded Lions still have a game in hand and can reclaim pole position by beating Christ-church at home tomorrow (7.45pm).

After that, Andover face two teams in the bottom four - Swanage & Herston (home) on Saturday and Whitchurch (away) on Tuesday while Fleet must travel to Portland before entertaining Thatcham.

If there are no major slip-ups en route, it points to a thrilling finale at Calthorpe Park on Saturday week when the two prize fighters square up again. One thing's for sure, Andover will not relish another meeting with Fleet's master marksman Ian Mancey, who scored four times last night.

Andover drew first blood after 21 minutes when Lloyd Webber challenged keeper Adrian Creamer for Shaun Dyke's inswinging corner and the ball went in off Fleet defender Rob Marshall's foot.

Kieron Drake's poor punch from an Alan Carey corner presented Mark Frampton with the 32nd-minute equaliser before Mancey went on the rampage.

The former Basingstoke Town hotshot scored twice in a minute at the start of the second half and hit the bar from the very next attack.

Matt Bicknell's deep cross set up Andy Forbes for a 53rd-minute Andover reply, but Wayne Noad struck the woodwork again for Fleet before another Drake fumble presented Mancey with his hat-trick.

On 84 minutes, the hungry frontman struck yet again, lobbing home from a huge drop-kick by Creamer, who went off injured with three minutes remaining. Boss Beeks replaced him in goal and his sole task was picking the ball out of the net when Webber made it 5-3.

"Mancey was exceptional. He had six chances and scored four," said Beeks. "He got knocked around a bit in the first half, but he and Frampton looked very dangerous with Carey in support.

"It was fairly even to start with, but I think we deserved to win.

"Andover got tired, but that partly down to the way we played. We tried to pass it around a bit."

With Gosport and Lymington & New Milton both drawing last night, Beeks believes third-placed Totton are the only other team in with a shout. Ian Robinson's men are three points behind with Moneyfields (home), Wimborne (away) and Thatcham (away) to come. "It would be hard for them to win it, but stranger things have happened," said Beeks.

Slack finishing cost fourth-placed Gosport dear in a 0-0 draw at Portland where Neil Scammell and Graham Lindsey each fluffed a one-on-one with the keeper.

Steve Strong's 35-yard blast for Lymington was cancelled by Sean Cook in a 1-1 draw at Thatcham, but the game was marred by a triple sending-off in the first half.

Linnets' Matty Town and Thatcham's Paul Taplin were red-carded for fisticuffs and home defender Chris Blackford followed them off for dissent.

There was another dismissal at Wimborne, where Magpies' Stuart Cannie walked for a second bookable offence. It capped a miserable night for Wimborne, who lost 2-0 to Brockenhurst. Ex-Magpie Gareth Barnes opened the scoring after just three minutes and Chris Marwood added the second.

Down in the basement, Whit-church are virtually assured of survival after a 2-2 home draw with Bemerton. They looked to be on their way to a win when Paul Rolfe and Neil Butler cancelled Keith Richardson's opener for the Harlequins. But 12 minutes from time, Christchurch were pegged back by a Mark Rees own goal.

Things are looking gloomy for table-propping Hamble ASSC after a cruel 1-0 home blow by Fareham.

Having held out for 83 minutes, the Planemakers - without a win since November 10 - were sent crashing by Town substitute Alex Robinson. Hamble remain two points adrift at the bottom with tough games against Brockenhurst (away), Lymington & NM (home) and Wimborne (home) to play.

"One win would problably be enough to save us, but we need a miracle now," admitted secretary, Matt Newbold.