BLACKFIELD & LANGLEY will be appealing against the second of their two late sendings-off in a 4-1 defeat at Gosport Borough.

Having seen Jimmy Dickens get a second yellow card for the foul which led to John Cripps's late penalty, the Watersiders were furious when Kev Love received a straight red for foul and abusive language.

Substitute Fraser Quirke, scorer of Borough's 75th-minute third, earned a controversial free kick and Love allegedly swore at the referee when he was lined up in the defensive wall.

"Kev says he didn't swear and a lot of the Gosport lads backed him up," said Blackfield's co-manager Tony Feeney. "We had quite a nave squad out tonight whereas Gosport are very experienced. We felt there were a couple of cons on free kicks and some of our lads took umbradge because they didn't like what the ref was giving."

The Watersiders had got off to a perfect start when Ben Hillman spotted giant 'keeper Mark Brown off his line and lobbed him from 30 yards.

But home skipper Stuart Hensman hit back either side of half-time and has now scored in Borough's last seven games.

Victory takes promotion-chasing Gosport to within two points of second-placed Winchester City.

Andy Leader was another unhappy manager after watching his BAT side surrender a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Cowes Sports.

Dave Roberts missed a potential third from the penalty spot for the Tobaccomen before Cowes hit back twice in the last ten minutes.

Although Leader blamed poor defending for letting in Andy Watson to make it 2-1, he felt the Yachtsmen's leveller was totally unjust. He said: "The ball was in our 'keeper, Gareth Barfoot's, hands and the bloke just went through him with a two-footed lunge and scored. When Paul Hodder complained, he got sent off for foul and abusive language."

After soaking up some early first-half pressure, BAT had taken the lead with a top-corner cracker by Andy Chance from Danny Gaines's cross. Five minutes later Richard Gregory laid the ball off for Roberts to fire across the 'keeper.

On the brink of half-time Cowes got a penalty for handball but Saturday's hero Dave Greening was denied by Barfoot.

"After all the emotion of playing in front of 2,700 in the Vase against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, it was always going to be difficult to go to Cowes tonight, especially as they'd just turned Thatcham over 6-3," said Leader.

"Before the game, I'd probably have taken the draw, but you can't help feeling disappointed when you've been 2-0 up until the 81st minute and had an unjust equaliser go against you."

Brian Le Boutillier sang the praises of fit-again goalkeeper Colin Hopkins after registering his first league win as Andover manager at the 3-1 expense of Moneyfields.

Hopkins has just returned to the side after a month out with strained thumb ligaments and the boss enthused: "He's colossal - the best 'keeper in this league. If it hadn't been for Moneyfields getting a penalty, they would never have scored."

Dean Cole fired Andover into a 15th-minute lead and 21-year-old hotshot Justin Bennett plundered two second-half goals. Sandwiched between them was a Moneyfields penalty, awarded against Lions' new defensive signing Callum Earl from Eastleigh.

Alton showed no ill effects of losing striker Richard Mealey to Fleet Town.

They pulled off the shock result of the night, burying Guy Whittingham's fifth-placed Newbury 3-0 at Anstey Road.

All the damage was inflicted in the first half through Dave Bridger, John Edwards and a Steve Larvan penalty awarded for handball.

"Newbury had most of the second-half pressure but we're very happy to beat a team in their position," said Town chairman Jim McKell.