FA Vase: New Milton turn on the style against Totton & Eling

FA Vase Second Qualifying Round

New Milton Town FC 4

Totton & Eling FC 0

NEW Milton Town FC booked their place in the FA Vase First Round with a resounding 4-0 defeat of Sydenhams Wessex Division One rivals Totton & Eling at the JMC Stadium on Saturday.

Conor Jevon scored the first of his two goals just before the break to give his side a 1-0 half-time lead. The other goals came from Ben Cooper and Chris Long, the latter hitting the back of the net with a jaw-dropping bicycle kick from the edge of the area.

Totton & Eling had the best of the early exchanges, but New Milton grew into the game as the half progressed. There was an early scare for New Milton when Ryan Lomax came within a whisker’s breadth of turning Joe Selby’s corner into the net.

The home side should have taken the lead with 11 minutes gone when Cooper missed an absolute sitter after an unfortunate bobble caused the number 10 to get under the ball.

Milton’s Turner played a superb ball into the area for the ever-dangerous Jevon, fresh from his midweek hat-trick against Ringwood, who forced Oli Eyres into a great save.

The visitors almost broke the deadlock when MacAuley played a good ball down the right channel for Matthews to chase. His cross into Clarke was decent, but the Totton man’s mishit shot trickled into the arms of keeper Luke Dennison.

Moments later, appeals for a penalty failed to move referee Anthony Smith after Totton’s Clarke fell in the area.

The breakthrough finally came on the stroke of half-time when George Richardson showed tremendous industry in midfield to pinch the ball off Matt Hartmann, the number seven slid Jevon through who took his time before smashing the ball under Eyres.

Although the first-half was highly competitive, the second-half was anything but. New Milton came out flying and Jevon soon doubled his and his side’s tally.

Turner played the ball into the lethal marksmen, Jevon twisted and turned his marker before lashing a shot into the net.

Just two minutes later, Cooper put the game to bed, scoring from 12 yards. This time Jevon turned provider as he floated a cross to the back post, Cooper cut inside and curled into the far side of the net.

With moments left until the final whistle, Chris Long scored a sublime goal – one of the finest seen at this level.

Elliot Eavis picked up the ball on the left before lofting in a high cross to the edge of the area where Long was waiting. The second-half substitute shaped his body before unleashing an acrobatic overhead kick which flew past the outstretched arm of keeper Eyres.

Both sides will be back in Sydenhams Wessex Division One action on Saturday with New Milton Town travelling to Bemerton Heath Harlequins, while Totton & Eling play away against Whitchurch United.

New Milton Town: L. Dennison, S. White, E. Eavis, J. Kimber, E. Lines, A. Scott, G. Richardson, C. Turner, C. Jevon, B. Cooper, M. Turner. Subs: D. Haynes, H. McKirdy, C. Long, T. Sampson, E. Jones.

Totton & Eling: O. Eyres, R. Fear, T. Beech, J. Selby, R. Lomax, T. Lycett, J. Matthews, M. Hartmann, J. MacAuley, D. Clarke, D. Burns. Subs G. Smith, D. Gain, K. Nagle-Kelly, S. Moss, L. Fear.