GUTSY Newport gave runaway Ryman League Division 1 leaders AFC Wimbledon a real scare at St George's Park last night as the Londoners escaped with a 2-1 victory.

"It was an extremely good game played in front of an excellent 765 crowd," smiled Islanders secretary Dave Bartlett. "They're happy to have won as it was certainly a close call late on."

The Dons looked comfortable at 2-0, having had the better of the first half, but Newport bossed the second period and replied through Simon Pilcher after 67 minutes with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that flew in off the upright.

Newport went close to grabbing an equaliser on several occasions and Pilcher was the unluckiest in the final minute when he saw his effort hacked off the goalline.

Four-goal hero Simon De'Ath was the inspiration behind Romsey Town's emphatic 4-1 win in their Sydenhams Wessex League Division 2 promotion clash against Horndean at the By-Pass Ground.

The visitors snatched the lead against the run of play before De'Ath fired home at the far post after 30 minutes and then gave his side the lead ten minutes later with a similarly worked goal.

De'Ath outjumped both keeper and defender to head home for his hat-trick midway through the second half before taking a pass from Andy McIsaac to slot in number four on 75 minutes.

James Scrivens gave Whitchurch a tenth-minute lead at Stockbridge with a right-footed volley from 12 yards but two Paul Coppin strikes five minutes either side of half-time gave the home side a 2-1 verdict.

Hythe & Dibden triumphed 3-0 in the Waterside derby at Fawley but Hythe boss Dave Cox admitted: "If they had taken their chances, they would have buried us."

Wayne Oakley fired in from 12 yards after 15 minutes and Oakley bagged a second on 70 minutes with a well-placed header from an Andy Lonsdale cross. Oakley returned the compliment six minutes later with a neat pass for Lonsdale to round the keeper and slot the ball into an empty net.

The Shaftesbury versus Ringwood clash was called off ten minutes before kick-off after the referee ruled that the ground his assistant had to patrol was too hard.

"It's an absolute joke - the ref just wanted to go back home and watch the Man United-Chelsea game on TV," fumed Shaftesbury manager John Dorrington.

Fleetlands go fourth in the Division 3 table following their 3-2 win at Netley Central Sports, blows by Jamie Lunn, Dean Inman and sub Lee Baldichinno sinking Netley's Billy Cozens and Jamie Bull.

On Tuesday, a 40-yard strike by Danny Adams powered Lymington Town eight points clear in Division 2 with a 1-0 win at Amesbury.

Last night, Town's reserves booked their place in the semi-finals of the Combina-tion Cup with a 3-0 win over Downton, Dave Perrett (2) and Dominic Powers on target.