TEAM Solent climbed to seventh in the Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division with a 3-1 win over Hamworthy United at Test Park yesterday.

The hosts swarmed all over the Dorset club straight from kick-off and took less than four minutes to go in front, writes WENDY GEE.

Ex-Sholing forward Tobi Adekunle had felt aggrieved after being blatantly pulled back in the opening exchanges, bur soon exacted his revenge.

The Southampton Solent University side opened up the Hammers with a fast-paced attack – skipper Jesse Waller-Lassen sweeping the ball right to left across the area and ADEKUNLE finding the far corner with the aid of a deflection.

Hamworthy’s goal lived a charmed life as dangerous low deliveries by Waller-Lessen and Adekunle skidded across the greasy six-yard box and Jemal Wiseman denied by keeper Gerard Benfield just prior to the goal.

With 15 minutes gone Waller-Lassen drew a superb tackle from Nick Swann as he shaped to shoot from the edge of the area. Then the Solent skipper, who has been on extended trials with Yeovil Town, pulled a smart save out of Benfield low to his left from Adekunle’s assist.

Solent’s pace and movement was causing the visitors headaches and the home side went close again after 20 minutes when Myles Keizer-Burrows’ header drifted just past the far post.

The visitors kept working hard but Solent keeper Dion Gibbs had little to do – Hamworthy’s first real shot of note sent comfortably over by Swann following good work by Stef Penny.

The Dorset outfit’s best chance arrived on 36 minutes when Penny’s free-kick, awarded for Ellis White’s foul on tricky little customer Paddy Hester, bent inches wide of the far upright with the keeper beaten.

The visitors had come right back into the game, but they needed another good save by Benfield on 40 minutes after the muscular Adekunle had held off defender Jordan Cole to get another shot away.

Half-time: TEAM SOLENT 1 HAMWORTHY 0

James Taylor’s Students began the second-half back on the front foot but Benfield was again equal to it when Wiseman let fly from distance.

The Hammers keeper then left his goal wide open to attend to urgent matters on the very edge of his area. Waller-Lassen attempted to cash in, but he over-hit his shot wide of the gaping net.

Solent kept pressing and Benfield was soon in action again, turning away Waller-Lassen’s 18-yard strike for a corner.

They played it short and this time WALLER-LASSEN unleashed a fierce shot from the right of the area that bypassed the keeper’s outstretched legs as it found the far corner for his 19th goal of the season.

That should have made it comfortable for the Students but, on 73 minutes, Hamworthy halved the deficit from the penalty spot.

Sam Byles caught Hester with a clumsy challenge and the Hammers’ No. 10 sent the kick low to Gibbs’ left.

Hamworthy accrued a couple of bookings stopping Adekunle and Waller- Lassen in full flight.

From the second incident, Waller-Lassen delivered a sublime free-kick deep to the back stick where Martin JOHNSON prodded home for 3-1.

Johnson and Waller-Lassen went close to adding to Hamworthy’s misery before, with three minutes remaining Hammers’ Sam Davidson went straight through the back of Ade Olumuyiwa and left the Solent man needing treatment.

There was still time for the busy Benfield to pull off yet another excellent save from sub Steve Black and for Keizer-Burrows to hit the base of the Hamworthy post with a header.

Full-time TEAM SOLENT 3 HAMWORTHY 1