Match report: New Milton Town FC suffer first home defeat since August 31st in 3-2 Wessex League Division One loss to Newport (IoW) FC

New Milton Town suffered their first home defeat in almost seven months against Isle of Wight’s Newport, who held on after taking a three-goal first-half lead on Saturday.

In a game of two distinct halves of football, the Brickmakers fought back from three goals down to make it 3-2. Although Noel McCarthy-Gardiner struck the woodwork in added time, the hosts left empty-handed, writes Jamie Tarrant.

“We were absolutely miles off it”, said New Milton Town manager Matt Maybury after the game. “First half, miles and miles. I mean, you have to give credit to Newport. They capitalised, and they were superb in the first half, but we were a joke.

“I have not seen us perform like that for a long time. It has probably been coming for a few weeks that sort of result, but then you saw what they can do in the second half.

“It’s really frustrating, a disappointing day. Newport ultimately deserved it.”

Midfielder Jack Broad added: “Slow start, and the boss has said it. It has been coming for weeks. I think we’ve gotten too complacent, sat at the top.

“We need to regroup, look at each other, go back to basics and just stick with each other. With the squad depth we’ve got, we should be putting the results away.”

Despite having their chances, the home side had a first half to forget. Newport took the lead inside the first three minutes, with Jai Nash rounding debutant goalkeeper Martin Shearing before taking his time to put the ball into the net.

From that point, it was one-way traffic in terms of ball possession, with Harry McGrath shooting wide after dribbling from the left wing to the right-hand side, Barney Stone missing the target with a looping effort, and Elliott Pearce-Eavis volleying wide of the far post after the ball fell to him from a corner kick.

It would then be a corner kick that doubled Newport’s lead on 38 minutes. Joe Butcher’s delivery on top of goalkeeper Shearing saw the ball fail to be cleared, allowing Nash to help the ball over the line.

It was 3-0 minutes later, with Kai Grace sliding the ball across the goal for Luca Weeks to sidefoot into the net.

Maybury made three changes following the break, with Jack Kinge-Phillips, McCarthy-Gardiner, and Dan Bartlett all coming on. Each of them, in their way, made a mark on the game: Kinge-Phillips with his relentless running and tenacity, Bartlett with his link-up play and delivery, and McCarthy-Gardiner, who looked like a man possessed to make an impression and change the outcome.

Newport’s only chance of note came early in the second period with a penalty shout that the referee turned away. From then on, the question of whether the Brickmakers could salvage any points from the game.

Stone reduced Newport’s three-goal lead on 53 minutes with a tidy right-foot finish into the bottom corner from just inside the box before McCarthy-Gardiner charged into the area and unleashed a bullet half-volley into the top corner just five minutes later.

It was game on at the M.A. Hart Stadium, and the home fans could feel it.

A corner kick saw Elliott Pearce-Eavis sidefoot the ball against the crossbar from a tight angle with a crowd of players along the goal line. Brad Snelling then headed over from close range with the ball fired into the area with too much pace, and he then headed wide with just a few minutes remaining from Bartlett’s whipped free-kick.

Deep into stoppage time, New Milton’s luck for the day showed.

The ball fell to McCarthy-Gardiner, 30 yards from goal, who unleashed a thunderbolt of a strike towards the Newport goal. The silence was deafening as the ball flew through the air before striking the angle of the crossbar and post and travelling across the goal line and out of danger. The referee’s whistle to end the game came seconds later.

Other results at the top of the Wessex League Division One meant the table would stay unchanged regarding the promotion race.

Next, New Milton Town face a rejuvenated Fawley AFC at home on Saturday.

New Milton Town: M. Shearing, E. Pearce-Eavis, J. Foden, B. Maybury, C. Smith, J. Broad, T. Colmer, B. Stone, L. Lane, H. McGrath, B. Snelling. Subs: J. Kinge-Phillips, N. McCarthy-Gardiner, D. Bartlett.