Farnham Town 1, Sandhurst Town 4

SHELL-SHOCKED Farnham Town’s perfect league start was cruelly ended in emphatic style by clinical Sandhurst at the Memorial Ground this afternoon.

Two goals in each half was enough to sink a Jekyll & Hyde Farnham side who scored through striker Jack May after just 26 seconds.

But bare scorelines invariably don’t tell the whole story - and that was undoubtedly the case on a searingly hot afternoon at Town’s curious little ground.

Despite plenty of huffing and puffing after such a strong start, Farnham looked a little disjointed at times and their build-up play was much more ponderous than that of their visitors, who moved top of Division One of the Combined Counties League.

So it came as no real surprise that Sandhurst first levelled the scores when Brad Brown’s snap shot from close range fell kindly to Haydon Richardson, who gleefully smashed the ball into the roof of the net on 32 minutes, and then took the lead four minutes before half-time when Patrick Gardner made no mistake with a low shot across goal into the far corner having been teed up by Grant Kemp.

And 2-1 became 3-1 and left Farnham with a mountain to climb when a chipped ball from Jamie Mitchell enabled Brown to nod the ball over the advancing Dease Kerrison in the home goal.

But a double substitution from Farnham’s former Sandhurst boss Luke Turkington could, and with a little luck should, have turned the game on its head.

With the ineffective Kye Nash and right back Jack Mitchell replaced by Jordan Page and the returning Max Meaton just after the hour mark, Farnham visibly moved up a couple of gears and laid seige to the Sandhurst goal for the 20 minutes or so - but desperate defending and the woodwork conspired to keep Farnham out before Sandhurst scored a stoppage fourth through substitute Callum Samuel to put the gloss on a flattering scoreline.

During that period of Farnham pressure, the home side used the flanks to good effect and pinged the ball around much more crisply.

Having already seen centre half Tom Bowles strike the upright at 2-1, goalscorer May ran infield and rifled a 25-yarder against the other post, Matt Glass’ strong low cross evaded both the sliding May and Charlie Oakley inside the six-yard box by a whisker, and Meaton’s fine diagonal ball was headed clear under the shadow of his own crossbar by a relieved Sam Green with the goalkeeper beaten as wobbling Sandhurst were put under the cosh by rejuvenated Farnham.

In the Sydenhams Wessex League, Alresford Town made it four wins out of four to move top of the Premier Division with a 3-0 win at basement side Solent University, courtesy of first-half goals from George Hallahan (penalty), Craig Harding and Steve Hall.

In Division One, goals in each half from Scott Sanderson and George Bowerman made it three wins out of four for Alton Town, who beat Folland Sports 2-0 at The Enclosure to go second.