GLENN Burnett hailed New Milton Town’s attacking prowess following Alex Baldacchino’s derby-winning four-goal salvo.

Star striker Baldacchino took centre stage – and made it 16 goals in 21 Wessex League starts – as Milton hammered local rivals Lymington Town 5-1 on Saturday.

Manager Burnett felt the result, which saw Linnets move up to third from bottom in the Premier Division, backed up his recent positivity following some promising performances in defeat.

He told the Daily Echo: “With all the goals, some of the build-up play meant they were not Alex Baldacchino goals, they were team goals.

“From the full-backs to wingers, we were overlapping and getting behind defenders and Alex was putting it in from six yards.

“We were very dangerous going forward and Alex certainly knows where the net is.”

Cherries apprentice Harrison Gilkes, on work experience at Fawcett’s Field, also got on the scoresheet.

Elsewhere in the top flight, Hamworthy United suffered a 1-0 defeat at Newport (IOW).

Boss Simon Browne thought his team deserved something from the game and said his Hammers players were “adamant” they should have been awarded a penalty when Dan Haysom’s goalbound header was ‘handled’ on the line by a defender.

Linnets: Lester, Davies, Curtis, Snelling (Donaldson, 75), Stuart, Gilkes, Barge, Chester (Colman, 85), Preston, Baldacchino, Moth. Unused subs: Harris, Digby (g/k).

Hammers: Evans, Yelland, White, Byrom, Lockyer, Cannie, Head (Corby, 55), Robinson, Lanahan, Hunt (Haysom, 50), Burbidge.

• In-form Verwood Town joined Brockenhurst at the top of Wessex Division One thanks to a five-star performance at Hythe & Dibden.

Potters moved level with Brock on 33 points following Saturday’s 5-1 away victory.

Mike Haskell struck twice in the opening 20 minutes before Dan Wilson made it 3-0 at the interval. The hosts hit back through Roy Viner after the break but Jack Satterley and Luke Homer found the net to seal a comfortable win.

The result made it 13 league games unbeaten and manager Adie Arnold said: “It was a good all-round performance. We should have been six or seven up at half-time.”

Team Solent are just one place behind Verwood after recording a 3-0 home win over Ringwood.

Wayne Lockey’s team were beaten by goals from Leo Churms (2) and Declan Edwards, while Solent’s Lewis Gundry was sent off in the first half for two bookable offences.

Potters: Lynch, Evans, Kelly, Delaney, Wilson, Homer (Elysee, 75), Webb, Dyer, C Gajic (Richards, 80), Haskell, Satterley. Unused sub: Smalley.

Ringwood: T Taylor, S Hole, Clark, Leadbetter (Labedzki, 26), Lavelle (Howes, 51), Tyler, Marks, Eley, J Brown (Elezi, 74), Edwards, W Hole. Unused subs: Osman, Manning.