FA Vase: Long brace helps New Milton shock Bitton

FA Vase First Round

Bitton AFC 2
New Milton Town FC 4

NEW Milton Town moved into the next round of the FA Vase after upsetting Bitton, who play higher in the football pyramid, 4-2 away from home.

The hosts, riding high in second place in the Western League Premier, struggled to deal with New Milton all afternoon, and the visitors thoroughly deserved their shock win.

An early chance for New Milton was saved well by Matt Dunk as Bitton struggled to get into the game.

The visitors continued to pressurise the Ton, and their approach paid dividends when number 10 Tyrell Sampson put Milton ahead after a quarter of an hour following keeper Dunk's shocking clearance.

New Milton struck the crossbar while continuing to dominate.

Then, with 34 minutes played, Chris Long won a penalty after Charlie Hitchings dragged the striker down in the area. Long showed no hesitation while dispatching the spot-kick for a 2-0 lead.

The Ton got themselves back in the game five minutes after the break when Callum Ball headed in a Matt Groves cross.

However, Tyler Rudd quashed any hopes of a fightback within two minutes after an excellent finish from a Long cross to restore the two-goal advantage.

Bitton's frustration began to show, and Ash Williams earned 10 minutes in the sin bin before Long bagged his second when Charlie Turner found the number nine, who raced away from the defence to slot past the keeper.

The hosts pulled one back from a corner in the 84th minute, but it was too little too late, and Paul Turner's men moved into the next round.

New Milton: O. Bull, F. Horlock, E. Eavis, J. Kimber, E. Lines, A. Scott, O. Jenkins, C. Turner, C. Long, T. Sampson, T, Rudd. Subs: L. Dennison, G. Richardson, J. Erne, J. Dacombe, A. Booker.