Thatcham left with a blank opening day

Southern League rivals Andover fold on the eve of the new campaign as pre-season programme gathers pace

THATCHAM TOWN have been given a few extra days to prepare for the start of the new Evo Stick League South campaign after scheduled first day opponents Andover folded at the weekend.

The club's Hampshire neighbours finished bottom of the table last season with only one win, but were handed a reprieve.

A new chairman and the appointment of former Winchester City boss Steve Moss as manager appeared to signal a brighter future, but Moss quit after only two weeks to join Football League Rotherham and, after a seemingly endless hiatus, the club pulled out of the league and all competitions at the weekend.

It means that Thatcham will bnow now see action until Wednesday, August 17, when they entertain Gosport Borough.

Meanwhile, a single goal maintained Thatcham's perfect start to their pre-season programme when they won 1-0 at Hellenic League champions Wantage Town on Friday night.

The decisive goal came midway through the second half from Gareth Thomas as Thatcham kept a second successive clean sheet on the road.

Town play their first home game on Wednesday night when they entertain an Aldershot Town XI.

Hungerford's busy schedule continued with two home games in the space of three days as the management team of Bobby Wilkinson and Michael Gilkes continued to examine their squad.

Hungerford went down 2-1 to Fleet Town on Thursday night after taking a first half lead through Luke Hopper only for Mark Watkins to equalise 10 minutes after the break with Dan Roussel netting the winner 20 minutes from time.

Latest signing Jon Wheeldon played 45 minutes in Saturday's 3-1 win over an Oxford City XI with all of Hungerford's goals coming in the first half. Adam Wallace put them ahead from the penalty spot after Nicholas Ogbanute had been brought down, before Wallace struck again when firing home Tom Brown's corner.

Ogbanute battled through to score a clinical third before City pulled one back after the break.

Hungerford were due to make their own trip to Wantage on Monday night before entertaining Basingstoke Town on Thursday evening.