Lymington & New Milton dropped a place to fifth after being held 0-0 at Forest rivals CHRISTCHURCH.

Though the scoreline was disappointing for the promotion-hunting Linnets, manager Ian Robinson was pleased with the way his team bounced back from Saturday's agonising Vase exit at Bury Town.

He said: "We played some terrific stuff tonight but the Christchurch goalkeeper Max Frampton had an inspired 90 minutes and we didn't create or threaten enough.

"But that happens sometimes in football and the pleasing thing is that there was no sign of a hangover from Saturday. We bounced back with a lot of character."

Linnets were forced into four changes with Sam Carter, Ben Thomson and Jimmy Anderson all unavailable and centre-back Paul Towler in bed with flu.

Leapfrogging Lymington into fourth place are GOSPORT BOROUGH, who overcame neighbours FAREHAM TOWN 2-0 at Cams Alders thanks to Neil Scammell and Ian Dyer.

A season's best 228 crowd had a bitterly cold night prolonged when a power cut plunged the ground into darkness for 20 minutes.

The Wessex League's sole Vase survivors AFC NEWBURY crowned a fabulous week with a 3-0 home win over ALTON TOWN to move sixth in the table.

Their Eastleigh-based skipper Adam Lang sandwiched two penalties around a Danny Taylor strike from the edge of the box.

AFC TOTTON woke up too late to ward off a 2-1 home defeat by BEMERTON. By the time Mark Osman pulled a goal back, the visitors were already in the driving seat through Graham Mankin and Stuart Findley.