LYMINGTON and New Milton booked their place for a trip to Whitehall on Saturday in the next round of the FA Cup, following a 2-1 win at Reading Town, but it certainly wasn't plain sailing.

Linnets manager Ian Robinson was relieved his side won the tie, but took no pleasure from a day he clearly would like to forget.

"It was a very hard and nasty game, and it's one game we could well have done without," said Robinson.

"The ground is in a field next to the Reading festival and after a three-hour coach journey we arrived to see the pitch which looked like it had been camped on all week.

"There was no real grass on the pitch, it was just dust and nobody really wanted to play on it.

"We then had 45 minutes of shambolic play and we looked like a pub side.

"It was a much better second half, but Reading didn't want to come back when they went behind. They showed no appetite for the game at all after that."

Robinson was also furious with two Reading players, who seemed to be intent on ruffling some feathers.

"It was very humid as well and altogether it was a nasty game of football."

The Linnets went a goal behind ten minutes after the interval but soon recovered when Ben Thomson found Paddy James who levelled matters.

An identical move followed that saw Thomson involved again, this time providing Kevin James with the honour of grabbing the winning goal.

Linnets: Walker-Harris, S Kenna, Sheppard, Sturmey, W Kenna, Thomson (P Smith 75), Bailey, Shaw, Curtis, P James, K James. Unused subs: Hookway, Knighton, Booker.

A dazzling second half display by Christchurch against Devizes Town ensured Priory an FA Cup preliminary round away trip to Bitton on Sunday.

Injury-ravaged Devizes of the Screwfix Direct Western League had no answer to Priory's powerful play and the Wiltshire side went behind shortly before the break thanks to a smart finish by striker Scott Joyce.

After the break Christchurch stamped their authority on the game and rarely looked back in a one-sided second half.

Ben Osbourne increased Priory's lead after 55 minutes when he pounced on a loose ball and rounded home keeper Warren Jackson to slot home.

Christchurch netted their third after a Paul Rideout cross rebounded off an upright and the ball bounced into the danger area where Steve Hillier was on hand to blast home.

Osbourne completed the scoring for Priory with a far post header following another Rideout cross.

lSurprise, surprise! There will be no open-top bus tour round the village of Brockenhurst parading the FA Cup next May, but on the rather more down to earth level, the Badgers exit at the first hurdle was an encouraging display with a cruel final twist, writes Andy Star-more.

Brock found themselves a goal down after 25 minutes, but an excellent strike from the edge of the box from Kevin James levelled matters before the break.

Goalkeeper Richard Newberry will not forget his FA Cup exploits in a hurry this season, after he fell awkwardly and broke his left arm shortly before half-time.

Outfield player Colm Clifford stepped in as a make-shift keeper and generally produced a solid performance between the sticks.

Just two minutes after the interval however, he was retrieving the ball from the back of the net as the visitors edged in front.

In the dying minutes Danny Neville squared the match once more and the replay looked very much on the cards.

But with just two minutes on the clock remaining VCD Athletic quickly cancelled the re-match and cancelled Brock's involvement with the FA Cup for another season, by making it 3-2.

Brockenhurst: Newberry (Clifford 37), Stevens, Barratt, Williams, Neville, Connor, R Irvine (Watson 65), White, Pedley, James, B Irvine (Marks 70).