Almost a hit with the girl next door (4,4)
I believe the answer is:
near miss
This clue is a double definition.
'almost a hit' is the first definition.
(I've seen this before)
'girl next door' is the second definition.
(I've seen this before)
'with the' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for near miss that I've seen before include "meeting thankfully avoided" , "not a success" , "Attempt that just fails to be successful" , "Not a direct hit, but very close" , "Almost successful shot" .)