Fleet Town exited their second cup competition in four days on Tuesday night, as they were once again humbled by lower league opposition, this time in the first round of matches for the Basingstoke Senior Cup.
But unlike in Saturday's FA Cup game at Newmarket Town, this time it was Fleet that made just about all of the running, but were just out-scored on the night by a plucky, Hampshire league Division One side, Alresford Town.
But despite the final scoreline, Fleet supporters were cheered by a strong second-half showing by their side, and the first appearance of the season by former Fleet favourite, hot-shot Shea Saunders.
After Saturday's poor showing at Newmarket, manager Mick Catlin took the chance to rest some of his senior players, and in the continuing absence of skipper, Craig Anstey through injury, the captain's armband went to defender, Ian Saunders. But there was no starting place for Saunders' namesake, Shea, who had to wait his turn on the subs bench.
The game was only 4 minutes old when the visitors took a surprise lead striker, Philip Anderson netting from a well-taken corner. Both sides then entertained the crowd for the rest of the half with some excellent passing football, but with neither side able to capitalise on plenty of scoring chances.
After the interval, Catlin rang the changes and on came former Irish Youth International, Saunders, replacing Ben Tiller upfront. The 18 year-old was soon in the thick of the action and his first effort on goal, within three minutes of being on the pitch, was a firm strike, which beat the keeper only to rebound off the upright.
Fleet were now in complete charge and with the chances coming thick and fast, it seemed only a matter of time before Catlin's men would get the game back on equal terms.
But disaster struck for Fleet in the 63rd minute, when Alresford extended their lead courtesy of an inexplicable error by Fleet keeper, Steve May, who failed to gather an innocuous shot by frontman, Anderson.
Now with a two-goal deficit to make up the Fleet side pressed even harder with attacks down both sides of the pitch. Eventually it was Shea Saunders who broke the deadlock with a quality strike in the 73rd minute, following a great move down the right by Jamie Proctor.
Sub Steve Black then made it 2-2, seven minutes later when he surprised the Alresford keeper with a well-struck curling corner that went in off the keeper's gloves.
But when it looked like the tie was moving into extra-time, Anderson completed his hat-trick for Alresford, with a well-struck 20 yard shot, after a mistake in the Fleet defence.
FLEET TOWN: May, Buckland, Millerick, Hare (sub, Black, 57 mins), Blakely, Ian Saunders, Proctor, Jeffrey, Tiller, (Shea Saunders, 57), Smith (Parker, 80), Hale.