IF there was a prouder manager in the country on Saturday than Bashley's Geoff Butler, you would struggle to have found him.

Despite being shorn of yet another star player when Richard Gillespie joined Salisbury City on loan last week, the Foresters pulled together for a magnificent 1-0 home win over form side Whyteleafe.

Butler, who has in been management well over 20 years, said: "I can't remember a game in a long time that's given me so much satisfaction.

"I spent the whole afternoon with a smile on my face and the icing on the cake was winning.

"You can't better that performance. Whyteleafe had taken 38 points out of 51, they were unbeaten in eight games and were second in the current form league.

"Yet they've come to Bashley and been beaten by a side with only four or five senior players and the rest inexperienced youngsters aged 16 to 19.

"The young lads give you effort, enthusiasm and they just run past people, which is lovely to see.

"Then you've got senior players like Matt Parnell, Chris Ferrett, Paul Gazzard and Dave Wakefield who were outstanding. The more senior players we lose, the more those remaining seem to excel."

It was one of the star performers, Chris Knowles, who volleyed the seventh-minute winner after keeper James Wastell could only palm out a Luke Allen cross.

Butler was also mightily impressed by debut-making right-back Jake Hewitt, recommended to the club by ex-Saints defender Jon Gittens.

Newport IoW could have taken a major step towards Ryman 1 survival by beating second-to-bottom Ashford Town at St George's Park.

Instead they were held 0-0 by the Kent side, who remain six points behind them with a game in hand.

Port boss John Linington said: "We're disappointed not to have won, but giving nothing away is the next best thing.

"We didn't get at them like we should have done, but at least we didn't lose."

For once, Port's leading scorer Dave Greening didn't get a sniff of goal. The nearest they came to scoring was when sub Adam Barsdell pounced on keeper John Whitehouse's poor clearance, but his goalbound shot was deflected wide by Tony Ritrovato.

Encouragingly, Port's experienced midfielder Leigh Cole is ready to make his comeback from a broken leg in tomorrow's IoW Gold Cup quarter-final at East Cowes Vics.

Fleet are just a point and a place above Newport after a 1-1 draw at Dulwich. David Ocquaye's opener was cancelled by a Danny Twin penalty given for handball on the line by Fleet's Donovan Chislett, who was sent off.