THE Sydenhams Wessex Premier title race took another intriguing twist on Saturday as league leaders Andover Town came a cropper 3-2 at Horndean.

The early dismissal of Joe Wright was a significant turning point, leaving the north Hampshire visitors to battle through 80 minutes with ten men.

Manager Glenn Burnett, whose side entertain Team Solent tomorrow evening, confessed: “Tough day today going down to ten men after just ten minutes. Some places you might get away with it, but not at Horndean.

“Michael Birmingham and his group are doing a tremendous job down there and play some great football. We go again Tuesday.”

Wright got his marching orders for a tackle on Horndean captain Ash Howes. It sparked a fracas and, when order was finally restored, the Andover man was issued with a straight red card.

Within a minute of Wright’s departure, however, the ten-man table-toppers took the lead when Zach Glasspool fended off at least three defenders before firing home via a deflection.

Howes pulled the Deans level at half-time and further goals from Benny Read and Liam Kimber plunged Andover into 3-1 arrears.

They continued to make a game of it, however, and pulled one back when Glasspool appeared to get the last touch to sub Reece Rusher’s 75th-minute free kick.

Horndean have made a happy habit of taking big scalps of late with delighted boss Birmingham pointing out: “We have only dropped two points in our last four games, all against top sides.

"We are starting to mature as a side.”

Andover’s loss leaves an eightpoint gap between themselves and chasing Blackfield & Langley, who have three games in hand.

The Watersiders kept the pressure on the leaders by winning a feisty encounter 4-2 against an under-strength Sholing at the Universal Stadium.

Blackfield, who pride themselves on clean sheets, were dealt a blow on eight minutes when Jake Hoole’s composed finish gave Sholing the lead.

But, after hitting the post, the visitors equalised on 17 minutes from a well-worked free-kick – Franklyn Clarke finding Sam Griffin whose whipped-in cross fell nicely for Lerone ‘Rudy’ Plummer to bury.

Four minutes later Blackfield went ahead when Boatmen’s keeper Ryan Gosney fumbled a cross and the ball looped to Sam Poole, who headed into an empty net.

It got worse for Sholing when Griffin made it 3-1 on 26 minutes from Sami Makhloufi’s cross and then Griffin almost got a fourth, but Gosney redeemed himself with a flying save.

Big defender Pete Castle hit the top of the bar with a header from a corner as Sholing rallied after the break, but Hoole’s dismissal for his involvement in a flare-up involving both sets of players, dashed any hope of a comeback from the home side.

Blackfield extended their lead to 4-1 in the 65th minute courtesy of a clever finish by Griffin, but they quickly had the smiles wiped off their faces when the quickthinking Dan Mason spotted goalkeeper Brad Snelling off his line and lobbed the ball home from the halfway line.

Sholing handed a debut to 16-year-old Bradley Targett late on but, by then, the match was beyond them.

The two clubs are awaiting the referee’s report regarding some ugly scenes after the final whistle.

Weather permitting, Blackfield & Langley are back in action tomorrow evening (7.45pm) away to reigning champions Portland United.

The Dorset outfit ran out 2-0 winners at relegation-haunted Newport IW on Saturday courtesy of second-half goals from Lewis Clarke and Ryan McKechnie