by Avril Lancaster.
It was a disappointing start to the season for Shaftesbury FC 1888 at Coppice Street as visitors Alresford Town repeated last season’s 2-1 victory with a disciplined counter-attacking performance.
They took the lead with a 25-yard volley from Nick Yeomans which flew past Konrad Symaniak into the top of the net and went 2-0 ahead through Sheldon Wright.
Wayne Smith looks to have made a class signing in Symaniak from Baffins Milton Rovers.
The Rockies threw the kitchen sink at it with ten minutes left. Jack Lovell fired past Callum Smart to reduce the arrears then hit the post; Reuben Smith forced Smart to save and the creative Luke Delaney was inches from salvaging a point.
After a league loss an FA Cup tie often is the best way to bounce back but the match against Camberley Town from the Combined Counties League Premier South in the Extra Preliminary round was abandoned at 0-0. Jack Lovell had the best chance for Shaftesbury and Symaniak brilliantly stopped another effort.
In the re-run Shaftesbury’s, Gary Bowles’ looping header from Louis Moore’s corner beat Harry Cawson in the 11th minute, and Luke Delaney was on hand to lash in the second after 33 minutes.
The visitors looked defeated but after tactical changes by manager Luke Turkington they attacked and pulled back goals through Gianluca Zanre Botti and Luis Hamblin to earn a replay in Surrey on Wednesday, 17 August.
Horndean away, not one for the faint-hearted, came up next. The team under Steve Gilbert and Ryan Andress were missing key players Asa Philips, Bowles, Brad Hill and Cameron Beard.
Shaftesbury put in an excellent performance only for Rudi Blankson to break clear in the last seconds of stoppage time to force Symaniak into a save before the ball fell invitingly for him to stroke in the winning goal.