THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF IT IS THAT BRICKIES COULDN'T NICK A WINNING GOAL!

TOTTON & ELING 1-1 NEW MILTON TOWN

THE table-top Brickies suffered an afternoon of pure frustration at Miller Park where they unexpectedly dropped two points to the rock-bottom team. A nondescript first half ended all-square after New Milton failed to find their fluid best on a bobbly pitch in a swirling wind. Jamie Kay’s team turned up the throttle after the interval and three times in an amazing 10-minute spell the home side were saved by the woodwork. But T&E rode their luck, packed in a five and six man defence, and successfully held on for an unlikely point.

It was clear from the start that the young T&E side was determined not to just roll over in the presence of the high-flying league leaders. The Brickies had the better of early possession, but were seldom allowed a sight of goal. First chance of the afternoon fell to Niall Dixon when New Milton’s first corner was deflected out to him, but he lifted his effort just too high.

With skipper Jack Broad among the subs on the day, Elliott Pearce-Eavis had the armband and set about marking that with a goal. However, after underlining his usual prowess at roaring up from right back to bolster the attack, his 11th minute effort cutting in from the right, fizzed just wide.

The game drifted into an end-to-end lull, with no serious goalmouth action at either end - until the 27th minute when T&E took a surprise lead. A headed back-pass from Pearce-Eavis fell short and Alfie Roberts nipped between defender and keeper Lloyd Thomas for a poacher’s goal.

That shook the Brickies into action, and almost immediately Niall Dixon’s pot-shot from 20 yards forced a terrific diving save from home keeper Jamie Bristow. Dixon was not to be denied for long, however, and it turned out to be third time lucky for him. Jake Carswell’s looping cross into the box set up the chance and Dixon did the rest with a sweet volley.

The Brickies had been behind for only nine minutes, but their failure to take a proper grip on the game in the first 45 was frustrating for them. So not surprisingly, they started the second half determined to raise the pace and peppered the home goal with a series of attacks, any of which could have put them ahead.

Elliott Pearce-Eavis set up Callum McHale, who toe-ended it just wide. Then three times in quick succession, T&E were saved by the woodwork. Louis Whetton worked an opening just inside the box and his effort beat the keeper, but not the frame of the goal. There was more frustration moments later when Niall Dixon cracked one in from the edge of the box, only to see it rebound out off the post.

Unbelievably there was then a third moment of despair when Callum McHale did brilliantly to create his shooting chance, only for the ball to come out off the crossbar. After that it was one-way traffic to the home goalmouth, but some heroic defending in depth saw the young T&E team walk away with an unlikely point - only their fourth of the season.

The only good news for the Brickies is that they remain top of the table because second-placed Ringwood did not have a game. It means New Milton now have a one-point advantage with two games in hand.

NEW MILTON: Thomas; Pearce-Eavis, Dixon, McHale (Swager 79), Lowes (Clarke 56), Husher, Whetton, Carswell, Rayner, Scott (Lane 65), Burns. Subs not used: Broad, Stokes. ATTENDANCE: 145 (Additional reporting, Ailani Verrall and Steve Jones)