With both sides sitting mid table, and with the hosts now on a run of seven matches since their last win the Anvils could be forgiven for thinking this could be a winnable game, but for the Anvils it would turn out to be far from that, having to field a side lacking five possible regulars due to injury and with a couple of others unavailable. The side though worked very hard throughout and although the result went against them the strength in depth was good to see. Josh Martin made his debut in the starting line up at left back and played very well and was adjudged the Anvils MOM with a sterling performance.

The hosts opened briskly and within two minutes had Byron Napper firing over from his own freekick, minutes later had Matt Daniel out right also firing over, come 10 and it was the dangerous Toby House heading wide a Tom Frankland cross.

After this initial burst it was the Anvils turn to apply pressure with Dan Sullivan’s free kick being hacked clear, then the same players corner found Williams Pearoux whose shot was then blocked, on 20 Andy Goodwin joined the party with a 30yd strike taken by keeper Dave Carruthers, it was mainly all Anvils at this time, but a lack of someone who could unlock a defence would prove to be the Anvils downfall.

On the half hour the Anvils suffered a real blow when keeper Martin Hopkins suffered a knock in going for the ball, and after about 10 minutes was forced to leave the field of play, being replaced by Andy Greaves who himself had only just recovered from a wrist injury, and just to prove their is no justice, he himself took a nasty knock which required attention a few mins later and relief on the Managers face as he was declared fit to carry on. One doesn’t expect to lose two keepers early on but it was that close.

The Magpies seizing their chance then started to up the volume, but the makeshift Anvil back four well marshalled by James Day and Blair Cooney had the eager Magpie front runners continually caught offside.

The final quarter hour of the half was mainly all homester attacks with House and Frankland going near, and Napper firing wide as the half ended. HT 0-0.

If the first half was tough, then the second would be even tougher, as House had his shot blocked by Andy Goodwin and Reece Batchelor firing over, come 57 and the Anvils were breached when an incident in the box led to a penalty being granted, and duly tucked away by House, to give the hosts the lead. 1-0 Loxwood, on 67 it was Daniels turn to increase the lead even further when turning home a cross from the right. 2-0 Loxwood.

On the hour mark the Anvils had a chance to open their own score when a Sam Cane header from a Cooney cross was unfortunately straight at the keeper, come 70 Pearoux was next to test the keeper, on 72 Tom Gannon and Bradley White were introduced but despite going close on several occaisions the Anvils could not breach the Magpies Goal. Loxwood striker House scored late on to put the match beyond any doubt. FT 3-0 Loxwood.

Team: Martin Hopkins (Andy Greaves), Blair Cooney, Josh Martin (Bradley White), James Day, Andy Goodwin, Williams Pearoux, Dan Sullivan (Tom Gannon), Mike Spence, Sam Cane, Oli Leslie, Lee Thomas.

MOM: Josh Martin Attn: 72