Thursday night football: New Milton vs Hamworthy Recreation, Bashley vs Westbury, Brockenhurst vs Moneyfields, Totton & Eling vs Alresford Town, Blackfield & Langley vs Fareham, Hythe & Dibden vs Cowes Sports
New Milton had little answer to the power of champions-elect Hamworthy at Fawcett’s Field, in a Thursday night of action for six local teams.
With the soggy pitch surviving a late pitch inspection – and very much thanks to efforts by the grounds staff and a host of volunteers – the Linnets took on high-flying Rec who have stormed the division this season and are yet to lose a game.
However, New Milton are one of the form sides; despite still being in the being in the bottom three, recent results have seen high hopes of remaining in the division.
Rec are a different prospect from Milton’s recent opposition, but a battling first half saw them head into the break only a goal behind, a George Deem penalty the difference.
The second 45 was another story, however, as rampant Rec fired home three unanswered goals through Chris Long, Alfie Matthews and Will Gage.
New Milton face 8th-placed Romsey Town on Saturday.
After two home defeats in the previous five days, injury-hit Bashley had to settle for a point against Westbury.
Still four men short of their potentially strongest team, Bashley at least had skipper Brad Morris back to anchor the midfield after a month out with a thigh injury.
He gave a man-of-the-match performance and was also at the centre of two memorable incidents. Firstly he fell awkwardly making a tackle and laid flat out on the turf for more than a minute. It looked as though his night was over almost before it had begun, by aggravating his old injury.
However, the Bashley stalwart – who has a testimonial game on 11th May after 10 years with the club – ran it off and later suffered the most bizarre booking of his career.
Morris won the ball from Ashton Shanley in midfield with a perfectly-timed, sliding tackle, taking the ball cleanly and sending it out for a throw-in.
However, the Westbury player went down under the challenge, and their player-manager, Ricky Hulbert, led a charge of their players towards Morris, who wisely stepped out of the melee. Despite continuing with the award of a throw-in and not a free-kick, referee Iain Parsons confused everyone by booking Morris.
Their breakthrough came in the 31st minute after winning a free kick on the corner of the penalty area on the left wing. Lewis Ross dummied to take it, but left it to Luke Delaney, who blasted it through the pack into the far corner of the net.
Shortly after half-time, it was 1-1, Hulbert surprisingly finding all the room he needed to head in Will Thomson’s corner.
Westbury seldom looked like taking the lead, but with an involvement still in the relegation battle, they chose to protect their point and sat back to deny Bashley a winning goal.
In the end it almost came unstuck and they had keeper Jon Hill to thank for a terrific last-minute save. Delaney sent in a whipped cross, met by Ross, whose ultra-close range effort was brilliantly parried by Hill.
Bashley head to Bideford on Saturday.
It was a six-goal thriller at Brockenhurst who let slip a 3-0 lead to share the points with Moneyfields.
There was a minute’s applause before kick-off in honour of Graeme Gee, a former player at both clubs, who passed away from kidney cancer that morning aged 51.
Marcelo Rossi put the Badgers ahead on five minutes, heading home after being given space at a corner.
Sami Makhloufi had the home side further in front with a penalty in the 26th minute and, two minutes into first-half added time, Freddie Bullard smashed the third past Dylan Kramer in the Moneys goal, after a cross from the byline.
Moneyfields turned it on in the second 45, Ryan Pennery starting the comeback on 56 minutes, Callum Laycock grabbing another with a header three minutes later, and Pennery levelling matters with 20 minutes remaining.
Brockenhurst host Baffins Milton Rovers on Saturday.
Totten & Eling had a tough night against fourth-placed Alresford Town, going down 4-1 as Sam Ellis scored for the Millers, and Aaron Blaxall, Joe Ryan, Aaron Dunne and Sanchez McLean sealing the points for Town.
Totton & Eling face Ash United at home on Saturday.
Blackfield & Langley turned over Fareham at Gang Warily 2-0 as both sides also paid tribute to Graeme Gee.
Dylan Roocroft put the Watersiders ahead on 28 minutes before Jahiem Dotse fired a superb shot top-corner minutes before the end of the first half.
Blackfield & Langley are at home to Christchurch on Saturday.
Hythe & Dibden sent Lymington Town chair Alan Farrar a note of thanks for the use of their ground while the Hythe Garage Services Stadium was out of action due to the foul weather.
Hythe return home this weekend after hosting Cowes Sports at the Lymington Sports Ground last night, where they sent the island side back across the water empty handed.
The home side went ahead on 35 minutes, with the Yachtsmen equalising fortuitously midway through the second half, a cutback finding its way off a Hythe defender and into the home net.
A red card for Cowes’ Brandon Hayward sparked an end-to-end finish to the game and, with six minutes of injury time on the clock, Hythe were in front after a long throw-in caused havoc in the Cowes box.
Hythe take on Shaftesbury on Saturday in their first proper home game in weeks
