Chertsey Town need to play against teams sporting red and black more often, especially in the FA Cup, as they took their third scalp in this season’s competition, all against sides in those colours.

Southern League Division One side Andover was the latest team to succumb as Chertsey got back to their winning ways with a comfortable win over, on paper, what should have been superior opposition.

The FA Cup, important as it might be, is not Town’s priority this term but the win was of high significance following successive league defeats. Andover have their woes at present being bottom of their league table and unable to play at home due to an unfit pitch.

The match was played at nearby Whitchurch. Their sorry situation was compounded by an eager Chertsey Town who were never put to the ultimate test.

New signing Craig Vernon at the back was not sufficiently pressed enough to show his mettle but looked competent and assured.

The extra central defender was brought on board after the disappointments of the last week. It was Mark McGibbon that was obliged to give was and sit on the bench.

There was an undistinguished start to the game. Andover showed some verve on their right with Youseff Bamber making good ground but without causing too many problems until Ollie Treacher’s near suicidal back pass was intercepted, but Craig Bradshaw in goal pulled off a save saving rescue.

In fact, all of Andover’s merge list of goal scoring opportunities came through self inflicted errors, but none were punished.

The game was lifted in the 27th Minute when a long diagonal pass, half way up the park, slotted into the path of Tom O’Regan. Two touches later, the ball was in the back of the Andover net with a placed shot across the bows of goalkeeper Andy Smallpiece.

Soon after, Dean Papali crossed the ball in another Chertsey attack but although he launched himself at the ball, the industrious Marcus Moody only managed half a contact.

The earlier goal shook the home side who increasingly lost confidence and Town took a firm grip on possession and weaved through the Andover defence to their manager’s embarrassment.

A square pass by James McCluskey as half time loomed, found Trevor Charlery who let go from 30 yards with the outside of his instep to put Chertsey in a commanding interval position.

Any thoughts Andover had of mounting a revival after the break were smashed by their own volition when Smallpiece badly miscued when kicking away a back pass.

Forced into scooping the violently spinning ball away, he only managed to propel it as far as Dean Papali who fired into the net on 48 minutes.

The Lions of Andover were thus completely tamed and only a bit hesitation from otherwise sound Jack Francis let Matthew Styles in but his effort was off target.

The advanced score line allowed good pitch time for young defender Tom Hayden and the margin to swap the team round.

The situation was never going to improve for the host side, especially when they were reduced to ten men after injury, with manager Andy Leader having used all his substitutes and they were going to do well in keep the gap to the so far three goals.

Smallpiece saved well from a shot off Steve Tyson’s head but the same Chertsey player gave the ball away in midfield a little later allowing Styles another chance to cash in, but he again fired wide.

The final score was eventually set four minutes from time when Matt Baxter moved into the penalty area and curled the ball round to, and off the far post, to complete Chertsey’s comprehensive win and a place in the second qualifying round for the first time in eight years, but more pointedly, a juddering halt to any thoughts that the positive start to the season might be about to stagnate.