Midweek football: Ringwood Town’s Albie Turner scores six as Brockenhurst and Christchurch triumph
FIVE local sides completed midweek fixtures, with victories for Brockenhurst, Christchurch, and Ringwood Town being the highlights.
However, it was not all joy, with Blackfield & Langley, Hythe & Dibden, and New Milton Town all suffering defeats.
In the Wessex League Cup, Brockenhurst ran out 3-1 winners over Blackfield, while in the Wessex Premier Division, Christchurch beat Laverstock & Ford by a single goal, and Hythe & Dibden lost to Andover New Street.
Ringwood Town were the night’s biggest victors in the Southampton Senior Cup, firing eight goals past QK Southampton, while New Milton Town exited the cup after losing to Downton.
Noel McCarthy-Gardiner shone as the Badgers defeated Blackfield, leading his side to a 3-1 cup victory.
The Badgers carried the more significant threat in the early exchanges, but it was the Watersiders who came closest to scoring when Rhys Taylor’s shot rattled the woodwork on its way out for a goal kick.
With 34 minutes played, McCarthy-Gardiner pointed on a poor clearance, squeezing an excellent shot through a forest of legs and into the net.
The match exploded into life, and Blackfield had a penalty awarded a minute after the goal following a foul on striker Joe Roberts. Ashton Palmier stepped up and fired beyond Will Butler to level.
Three minutes later, Brock had a spot-kick of their own after McCarthy-Gardiner was taken out while clean through on goal. Jake Adams shot to the top left corner, but James Harwood made a ridiculous save.
On 68 minutes, McCarthy-Gardnier whipped the ball into Adams’s path, whose fierce effort fizzed home despite the hand of Harwood making contact.
With the match balancing on a knife edge at 2-1, McCarthy-Gardiner appeared to be in fast forward as he burst past a defender before smashing the ball home and sealing the victory.
Ringwood Town dominated against Hampshire Premier League side QK Southampton, running out 8-0 winners in the Southampton Senior Cup.
Dan Whitelaw opened the scoring before Albie Turner completed a hat-trick moments before the half-time whistle arrived. Turner’s second was possibly the pick of the bunch after running onto a cross into the box and cushioning a delightful volley past the keeper.
After the break, Turner grabbed another triple, with Jesse Rabin grabbing the seventh goal of the night after firing high into the net.
New Milton Town attempted a late comeback against Downton, with Callum McHale pulling one back from the spot with 83 minutes played, but a third goal late knocked them out of the Southampton Senior Cup.
Finally, two local sides featured in Premier Division action, with Christchurch scoring in the second half through youngster Fin Richardson, sealing victory over Laverstock & Ford, while Hythe’s winless run stretched to 10 after a 1-0 defeat to Andover New Street.
