Wessex league football: New Milton hammer league leaders Downton
Wessex Division One
Downton FC 0
New Milton Town FC 4
NEW Milton Town picked up three vital points to keep their title hunt alive, hammering league leaders Downton.
Second-placed Linnets scored four through Elliott Lines, Ben Cooper and a Charlie Turner brace to narrow the gap to leaders Downton to just one point.
Paul Turner's men dominated right from the start, and they had already put the hosts on the back foot before Turner slotted into the bottom corner from outside the area after just nine minutes.
The Linnets continued to carry the more significant threat, which led to the league leaders' frustrations bubbling over, with Krzysztof Krystofowicz becoming involved in an off-the-ball incident which saw to Derek Pratt issue the number 10 with a straight red.
As the first 45 came to a close, Cooper's delightful inswinging corner allowed Linnets centre-back Lines to bundle the ball across the line for his third of the season.
The league's most lethal attack refused to let up against the hosts' 10 players, and they soon made it 3-0 after superb hold-up play from George Deem allowed Turner to bury his second.
Downton appeared out of ideas, and Cooper piled more misery on them with the game's best strike, a delightful dink over keeper Will Betts.
The Linnets have two league fixtures coming up when they host Amesbury Town at the DMW Stadium today (Tuesday) at 7.45pm before travelling to take on Ash United on Saturday at 3pm.
New Milton Town: O. Bull, E. Eavis, C. Parnell, B. Kelly, E. Lines, A. Scott, T. Rudd, C. Turner, G. Deem, B. Cooper, T. Sampson. Subs: A. Booker, C. Butler, J. Dacombe, G. Richardson.