Midweek fixtures: Bashley vs Hamworthy, New Milton vs Ringwood, Brockenhurst vs AFC Portchester, Hythe & Dibden vs Horndean, Blackfield & Langley vs Bournemouth Poppies
BASHLEY and New Milton came out the happier of the local sides in this week's Wessex Football League midweek fixtures.
The former secured an excellent point against champions-elect Hamworthy United, while New Milton fired six unanswered strikes against local rivals Ringwood.
Hythe & Dibden picked up back-to-back wins for only the second time all season, but it was a much less enjoyable night for Brockenhurst and Blackfield & Langley, who both lost.
Bashley's remarkable unbeaten run continues after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Hamworthy to move level on points with second-placed Shaftesbury.
Hamworthy had the best of the early exchanges, with Ross Casey stopping their best effort through a strong save with 20 minutes played, before former Christchurch player Lyle Simpson put Bashley in the lead after finding the bottom corner.
The Hammers found their way back into the game on the stroke of half-time when Jamie Beasley glanced home a corner at the near post.
The second half was a gritty affair, with multiple horrendous challenges flying in. Finally, goalscorer Beasley received a red card in the 88th minute.
After an extended injury time of seven minutes, the final whistle heralded the arrival of a hard-earned but justified point for Bashley.
New Milton Town reaffirmed their status as Wessex Division One's form team with a six-goal demolition of Ringwood.
The one-sided away victory extends the Linnets' run to a fine seven wins from their last eight games.
The visitors showed their intent straight from the kick-off, with top-scorer Chris Long finding the back of the net with less than 60 seconds played.
Tyler Rudd doubled the advantage after 33 minutes before lethal Long bagged his 25th goal of the season for a 3-0 half-time lead.
After the break, Tyrell Sampson added his name to the scoresheet before Long bagged his third, and Luke Stone rounded off the scoring.
Despite going into the match with multiple first-team players unavailable, Brockenhurst will be unhappy with the three-goal loss to AFC Portchester.
The Royals got off to the perfect start when Curtis Da Costa bundled the ball into the net from a corner with two minutes played.
The visitors notched their second after 27 minutes when Felipe Barcelos rounded stand-in keeper Matty Taylor before shooting home into the far corner from an acute angle.
The Badgers laid siege to the Royals' goalmouth, but it just was not their night, and Lee Wort put the nail in the coffin when he rolled the ball into an empty net with 17 minutes left.
It was a joyous night for Hythe & Dibden, who took a brilliant upset victory over fourth-placed Horndean thanks to a stunning last-gasp winner from Filippos Terzidis.
Horndean started brightly and created some decent early chances, but the hosts broke the deadlock thanks to a 15th-minute opener from Terzidis.
Hythe defended brilliantly, and on the rare occasions Horndean found a way through, keeper Nic Jones stood firmly in the way. However, he could do nothing to stop an own goal with 14 minutes left.
Far from crumbling, Hythe continued to play, and Terzidis rewarded his side's efforts with a stunning goal which left keeper Cameron Scott with no chance.
It was a miserable night for Blackfield & Langley, who suffered a 4-2 loss to a Bournemouth Poppies side who have spent the season hovering around the bottom three.
Everything looked rosy for the Watersiders when Owen Fee opened the scoring with eight minutes played. Then, however, the Poppies scored four unanswered strikes to secure a vital win in their fight for league survival.
Blackfield striker Sam House ended his goal drought with a welcome and well-taken consolation goal late on.
