IF you thought that Highbury provided an exciting finale on Saturday, you should have been at Otterbourne's Oakwood Park. The final 15 minutes produced no less than five goals and two red cards!

The end result was that OTTERBOURNE thumped lowly QK SOUTHAMPTON 6-2 but the Taxmen actually led 2-1 until the 75th minute when the match suddenly turned sour for the visitors.

QK's two-goal hero Ed Bassey, whose strikes had wiped out an early effort by Otters' Paul Kelly, was dismissed for a second bookable offence and the roof suddenly caved in.

Headers by Jim Bedford and Danny Edwards put Otterbourne 3-2 up before QK were reduced to nine men when Max Hawkins was red-carded for alleged violent conduct. Then two goals by Jamie Nash plus another by Steve Trott wrapped up the points for the Otters.

"We were very lucky and the scoreline is flattering. It has no reflection on the game itself," admitted Otterbourne secretary Robin Broom.

Table-toppers FARNBOROUGH NORTH END put last week's shock defeat behind them by beating second-placed HAYLING UNITED 3-1 at Ringwood Road.

Darren Sked fired them into a 35th-minute lead which they doubled just before half-time when Paul Xiberras netted from the penalty spot after Steve Lloyd had been bundled over.

Lloyd grabbed North End's third on the hour mark after Sked's effort had been parried by the keeper. Hayling netted a headed consolation after 66 minutes.

OVERTON UNITED, who ended North End's unbeaten start to the season last week, couldn't repeat the feat against in-form COLDEN COMMON who reeled off an eighth straight league win with a battling 2-1 awayday verdict.

Richard Atterbury volleyed home Dean Higgins' inswinging free-kick to give the Commoners a second half lead and, although Overton levelled on 75 minutes, another pinpoint Higgins' delivery saw Simon Stillwell rise to head home an 87th minute decider.

"Overton gave us a real hard game but we are very confident at the moment and playing really well," summed up Common boss Dave Riddell.

Two second-half strikes by leading goalscorer Richie Parkes gave third-placed PAULSGROVE a 2-0 victory at ORDNANCE SURVEY, while AFC PORTCHESTER (Simon Sherlock) and TADLEY (Paul Rolfe) slugged out a 1-1 draw.

Master marksman Mark Peach plundered four goals as FLEETLANDS floored FLEET SPURS 8-2. Jamie Lunn, Paul Stanley and a brace by substitute Dean Inman rounded off the Fleetlands' goal spree.