New Milton Eagles secure second successive league win over second-placed Manor

Bournemouth Hayward Saturday Div 1

New Milton Eagles 3

Bournemouth Manor Reserves 2

DESPITE second-placed Bournemouth Manor Reserves arriving with an unbeaten league record, New Milton Eagles attacked from the off to secure back-to-back wins for the first time all season.

Eagles started brightly and had a couple of near-misses in the opening exchanges while Manor looked to hit on the break with quick counter-attacks on the wings.

Eagles broke the deadlock when Carl Foster sent a searching cross-field pass from the right-wing to Justin Keeler at the back post. Keeler fizzed a low ball across the goal to a grateful Matt Hillyar, who tapped the ball home.

The home side was unable to make the most of their early pressure, and two quick breaks punished them down the right-wing, leading to two goals in quick succession. Manor held on to their lead until the break.

Eagles felt confident that they were still in the game, and they started the second half with confidence.

Within ten minutes of the restart, they restored parity. This time it was Hillyar’s turn to set up his strike partner, Keeler. The former collected a long ball on the edge of the box and rolled it into Keeler’s path for him to fire past the keeper.

The game continued to ebb and flow, from end to end, and it looked destined to end in a draw. However, with just two minutes to go, substitute Lee Rimmer burst down the right and cut the ball back from the byeline. The ball evaded the keeper, and the impressive Carl Foster arrived to bundle the ball home from a couple of yards out.

Eagles escaped a last-minute free-kick scare to secure an impressive win.

New Milton Eagles: Gale, Jones, Spooner, Hillyer, Miah, Foster, Vibert, Boultwood, Bloor, Keeler, Hillyar, Waters, Hynds, Rimmer.