TWO goals in the last 20 minutes settled Lymington & New Milton nerves as they returned to winning ways at the top of the Jewson Wessex League with a battling 2-0 victory over Moneyfields at Fawcett Fields.
Following last week's reverse at Totton, the league leaders were looking distinctly edgy going into the final quarter of the match which had seen them squander a number of chances to take the lead.
It took a defensive error for the Linnets to finally move ahead on 71 minutes. Graham Kemp pumped forward a terrific diagonal ball which under-pressure Moneyfields defender Terry Martin could only slice across the penalty area for Matty Town to plant the ball into the bottom corner.
It was all over eight minutes later as Paul Sims hoisted in a hanging cross from the left for substitute Avi Gonzalez to glance home a well-placed header with almost his first touch of the ball.
Top scorer Andy Forbes notched a fifth-minute winner for Andover, who beat lowly Fareham 1-0 to remain six points behind Lymington with two matches in hand.
Third-placed Fleet Town romped to a 4-0 win at Blackfield & Langley, where Gavin Smith's 27th-minute strike separated the teams.
Fleet coasted home after the break, with Mark Frampton (62 minutes), Aidan Kilner (80, penalty) and Martin Whiddett, in injury time, completing the scoring.
Title holders Wimborne Town needed a late Mark Turner equaliser to secure a stuttering 1-1 draw with AFC Newbury, who led through Kevin Coles after only nine minutes.
Rock-bottom Portsmouth RN stunned Cowes Sports with a third-minute goal by Chris Yoxall, but it failed to save the Sailors from a 5-1 mauling at Westwood Park.
Braces by Phil McDonald and Terry Pawling - his first goals of the season - and a fifth by Andy Sampson swept Cowes to victory.
Eastleigh boss Trevor Parker gambled by leaving creative teenager Kevin Brewster on the subs' bench at Bemerton - but it paid off, with Stu Roberts' goal five minutes from time earning Eastleigh a 1-0 win.
Gosport Borough's bid for a first league win was undone by the BAT late show at Southern Gardens where Jamie Brown scored twice in the last nine minutes to snatch a 2-1 win. Jon Wallsgrove had given Gosport a second-minute lead.
Kevin Reacord grabbed one of the JWL's quickest ever goals when he struck after just seven seconds of AFC Totton's visit to Swanage & Herston. Swanage levelled through Dave Vye, but Stuart Richie sealed Totton's 2-1 win midway through the second half.
Andy McColm grabbed a second-half winner for Hamble ASSC at Whitchurch, while Adie Butler scored three minutes after the break to earn Christchurch a 1-0 victory at Downton.
A last-minute Steve Hillyer goal rounded off a terrific fightback by Brockenhurst, who wiped out a two-goal deficit to beat Bournemouth 5-3.
The Poppies were flying after early strikes by Dominic Taylor and James Bailey-Pierce, but Brock led 3-2 at the break through Pete Gardner, Ben Thompson and Phil Stone. Stone notched a fourth before Bailey-Pierce struck again for Bournemouth.
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