Match report: New Milton Town sealed a 4-0 Wessex League Division One victory over Fawley AFC on Saturday afternoon.
New Milton Town kept themselves at the top of the Wessex League Division One table with a 4-0 win over Fawley AFC on Saturday afternoon.
It was the Harry McGrath show at Fawley AFC’s Brickability Group Stadium on a chilly afternoon in the Southampton village, writes Jamie Tarrant.
New Milton Town’s first team coach spoke after the game: “We expected a challenging game, and the second half proved Fawley can defend and break forward well. The difference was the pace and quality we showed in the first half.
“McGrath came in for an injured Barney Stone and offered us direct running and quality end product. The lads’ movement was exceptional, with some of the best passing interchanges this season.
“The season continues progressing well for us, and consistency is key. This group has the capacity to play different models of football when needed.
Overall, I was delighted to see another clean sheet from a terrific back five, and we look forward to a really tough match with Newport next week.”
It took 32 minutes for the man who hadn’t played for the club since his debut 57 days ago, McGrath, to register three assists and a goal in a 4-0 away win.
The Wessex League’s top scorer, Barney Stone, missed out through injury but was in attendance along with Jack Broad, who continues to recover from a knee injury picked up in the Fleetlands game just over a month ago. Tim Steele also remains on the sidelines.
Despite missing players, the Brickmakers sailed to an uncatchable lead in the first half.
On seven minutes, McGrath galloped down the left wing, evading two Fawley players to slide the ball across the face of the goal where Noel McCarthy-Gardiner was waiting at the back post to tap into the net from close range.
The lead was doubled on 21 minutes, with McGrath repeating the assist from the right-hand side to set up Toby Colmer to finish.
McGrath – who is dual-registered with Wessex Premier side Shaftesbury – was looking for a goal of his own, and in the 27th minute, he was celebrating one for himself. He picked up the ball wide on the right before dribbling into a central area before fizzing the ball into the bottom corner from outside the box.
It took only five minutes for New Milton Town to grab their fourth, with McGrath rolling the ball across the box for Noel McCarthy-Gardiner to sidefoot in his second of the game.
The second half failed to provide much action as the Brickmakers used all five substitutes, giving minutes to Ben Beard, Heath Thornton, Ollie Mayo, Cam McMonagle, and Jack Kinge-Phillips. All of them will expect to be featured when the two sides meet again in the Wessex League Cup in 11 days at the M.A. Hart Stadium.
Brad Snelling struck the post in the second half via a free kick, and both Callum McHale and Elliott Pearce-Eavis tested the Fawley goalkeeper, but the result stayed the same.
New Milton Town stay at the top of the Wessex League Division One and has been unbeaten away from home this season.
Their next game is next Saturday when sixth-placed Newport visits the M.A. Hart Stadium. The Brickmakers are unbeaten in 11 league games, while Newport are on a run of nine unbeaten.
New Milton Town: O. Bull, E. Pearce-Eavis, B. Maybury, C. Smith, J. Foden, L. Moore, T. Colmer, N. McCarthy-Gardiner, C. McHale, H. McGrath, B. Snelling. Subs: B. Beard, H. Thornton, C. McMonagle, O. Mayo, J. Kinge-Phillips.
