Ringwood Town 3-1 Hythe & Dibden | Match Report
Ringwood Community Hub | Tue 13th Oct | 19:45 KO
Ringwood Town secured their passage into the next round of the Southampton Senior Cup as they defeated Wessex Premier Division side Hythe & Dibden 3-1. Goals from Brown and Harrison Clarke had Ringwood ahead at the break before Fran Mathers was forced to use his bench after Danny May was substituted due to injury.
Sam Woodward pulled one back with 20 minutes to play, but Brown bagged his second of the night minutes later when he dispatched from the spot.
Brown gave Ringwood the lead in the seventh minute when he fired in from close after some good hold-up play from Ben Harris; the midfielder spun his man and fizzed a cross towards Brown who lashed it into the back of the net. Marcel Laptas had the ball in the back of the net for Hythe minute later with a cool finish past goalkeeper Felix Bruce, but it was chalked off as Laptas was viewed to have fouled Ted Bignell in the buildup.
Clarke doubled Ringwood’s lead just before the 20th minute with a tidy finish following some tidy buildup. Bignell clipped the ball to Clarke who took the ball down with his knee before stroking it past Jamie Bruce as he came to meet him just inside of the Hythe & Dibden box.
Mathers was forced to turn to his bench in 35th minute when May stayed down following a robust challenge from Trem More as Riley Claxton came on for May.
Lee Vint and Harris combined well shortly after the break when Vint slid the ball out wide to the midfielder, but Harris’ cross was cleared by Hythe’s Keaton Lane. Laptas came close minutes later when he attempted an overhead kick however the striker’s effort doesn’t trouble Felix Bruce as it goes wide for a goal kick.
Hythe had another opportunity to halve the deficit in the 50th minute when Harris failed to control the ball following a pass from Vint, allowing Laptas to break towards goal, but Bignell was on hand to make a last ditch tackle.
Woodword pulled one back in the 71st minute after he combined well with Laptas deep in the Ringwood half before he curled it past Felix Bruce before he could collect the ball. Brown secured victory in the 75th minute when he sent Jamie Bruce the wrong way from the spot after Harley Legg blocked Will Orchard’s cross with his hand.