Never-say-die Lymington & New Milton staged one of the greatest fightbacks in FA Vase history on Saturday to secure a place in today's fourth round draw with an amazing 5-4 victory at Willand Rovers.

Incredibly, the Linnets found themselves almost down and out after just 27 minutes of this third round tie when defensive mayhem contributed to Graham Kemp's side trailing 4-0 to the Devon outfit.

"We like to test the team spirit," joked Kemp afterwards.

"It's a fantastic result and I think a lot of the credit should go to Alex Pike (assistant manager) who made changes and substitutions very early on when things were going wrong.

"For the first five minutes we were all over them but they hit us on the break and we just seemed to have a funny 20 minutes and couldn't believe that we were 4-0 down.

"But we got two back before the break and at half-time we could hear their manager really laying into the players - and they were still winning 4-2!

"We believed we could score more goals and kept going where we left off.

"Naturally we're all absolutely delighted and it's a brilliant result after going 4-0 down so early. It was a very enjoyable journey home!"

Lymington keeper Steve Staples' first touch of the ball was to pick out Nick Murray's effort after seven minutes quickly followed by a Steve Edby double on 10 and 18 minutes with Murray striking again after 27 minutes.

The stirring fightback began on 36 minutes when Steve Strong headed home a Liam Green free-kick and, right on the half-time whistle, Leigh Phillips stabbed in from close range.

Mark Turner's side-footed finish after 55 minutes made it 4-3 and the Linnets were back on level terms on 70 minutes when Nick Miles' delivery to the far post was swept home by Strong.

And the fairytale ending was complete two minutes from time as Anthony Tilley broke through the wilting Willand defence to find Turner, who crashed the ball high into the top corner of the net.

The other JWL representatives going into the hat today for the last 32 are Christchurch, who also went goal crazy in a 5-0 awayday victory at Screwfix Premier Division outfit Welton Rovers.

"It's a great achievement for a club like ours to reach the last 32 of a national competition like the Vase," said Christchurch co-manager Tony Brown.

"We had a chat with the players beforehand and told them what a victory would mean to this football club and they have gone out there and made history for us by beating a hard-working team well.

"In fact, it could have been six or seven in the end and I can't remember our goalkeeper having to make a save in the entire match."

Two first-half strikes by Lee Manning put the Priory men in charge.

John Grace's surging run and far-post cross was met by Manning on the half-hour mark and, ten minutes later, he beat the Welton keeper at the second attempt in a goalmouth melee.

On 49 minutes, Ross Edwards cross' was put away by Duncan Wells who then turned provider for Paul Rideout to notch a fourth. Wells bagged his second and the team's fifth after playing a neat one-two with Edwards.

"This success has not been bought, it's been done with a great bunch of young kids with honesty, hard work and fantastic support," added Brown.

AFC Totton returned empty-handed from a gruelling five-hour coach journey to St Blazey as the Carlsberg South Western League leaders crushed the club's Vase hopes 5-1.

"It was men against boys out there," sighed Totton manager Ian Robinson, whose side was stripped of six first-team regulars.

"The side I had out wasn't the one which has got us to where we are in the Wessex League.

Yet Totton had made the perfect start when Patrick James latched onto a long through ball by Neil Morant to smack a half-volley past the St Blazey keeper Sid Taylor.

But Taylor got his revenge nine minutes when he saved James' spot-kick after Dave Leonard had brought down Martin Whiddett in the penalty area.

That proved to be the turning point as the home side replied with two quickfire goals before half-time.

"Instead of going in at the break 2-0 down, they went in 2-1 up and then hit us with two further goals straight after the restart and that was it," groaned Robinson, whose side now face league leaders Eastleigh and Matt Le Tissier at Ten Acres on Wednesday evening in a JWL summit meeting.

Totton should themselves be boosted by a talented, new face in the side. They yesterday signed former Brockenhurst and Newport IoW midfielder/forward Ben Thomson from Bashley for an undisclosed fee.

Moneyfields went crashing out 4-0 at home to Jewson Eastern Counties League side Gorleston and their assistant manager Terry Arnold described it as "our worst performance of the season."

"We were simply awful right through the whole match," admitted Arnold. "We didn't perform and we couldn't even string three passes together and it's even more disappointing because Gorleston are only halfway in a league equivalent to ourselves.

"Normally you can pick out a player who has had a decent game even when you lose, but we couldn't do that today. Every one of them knows that they have let themselves, the club and the supporters down," sighed Arnold.

Justin Bennett notched his third hat-trick of the season as Andover swept aside Alton Town 3-0 at the Portway Stadium to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Hampshire Senior Cup.

"We are playing so well and things are really going great, we're just on an unbelievable run at the moment," beamed Lions' boss Howard Goddard.

Bennett opened his account in stunning style after 12 minutes, controlling the ball on his chest before unleashing a tremendous 25-yard shot.

Gavin Richards' header across the face of goal gave Bennett his second on the hour mark and he completed his hat-trick in the final minute with a close-range finish.

The only blemish on another good day's work for Goddard was the dismissal of his captain Glen Damon five minutes from time for a late tackle - his second bookable offence.

Both high-riding Wimborne Town and Portland United recorded comfortable five-goal away wins to clinch their places in the last eight of the Dorset Senior Cup.

Double blows by Darren Powell and Gareth Barnes plus one from Paul Sims made up Wimborne's nap hand in a 5-2 victory at Dorset Senior League outfit Allendale, while Lee Cornick (2), James Reeve, Andy Turrell and Russell Davis saw Portland home 5-1 at Cobham Sports.