MICHAEL Dark put the brakes on New Milton Town’s promotion charge by spearheading Wessex One rivals United Services Portsmouth to a 4-1 victory.

Dark netted all four goals – including a second-half hat-trick – to leave the Linnets four points adrift of second-placed Tadley Calleva with seven games remaining.

New Milton headed to the Victory Stadium bidding to register a seventh successive league win but were on the back foot from as early as the fourth minute.

Dark’s early opener separated the teams at the break before the visitors spurned a series of presentable opportunities to draw level at the start of the second half.

And they were made to pay when Dark doubled US Portsmouth’s lead on 62 minutes, with Sam Bayston halving the arrears just minutes later.

New Milton’s search for an equaliser received a setback after Rob Teppett had seen red for allegedly raising his hand in a dispute with an opposition player.

And as Linnets threw men forward in the closing stages, Dark made the most of the numerical advantage to score twice late on to seal victory.

New Milton host a Bournemouth FA representative team in a friendly at Fawcett’s Field tomorrow (7.45pm kick-off).

New Milton: Jackson, Ohameji, White (Turner, h-t), Davidson, Teppett, Drew, Harris, Dickson, S Bayston (Carter, 75), Woolner, Jack. Unused subs: P Bayston, Shering, Rees (g/k).

  •  Jason Hardy’s first-half opener proved in vain as Ringwood Town suffered a 4-1 reverse at the hands of promotion-chasers Tadley Calleva.

Hardy drew first blood for the visitors at Barlows Park before second-placed Tadley netted twice in the space of four minutes to lead at the break.

Tadley scrambled a third to earn some breathing space during an end-to-end second period before a late fourth gave a distorted view to the scoreline.

Ringwood: Gillett, Hardy, R Osman, Roberts, Finlay, Barber (Peck, 70), Chilman, Saunders, Richmond-Cole, Leadbetter (K Osman, 75), Steer.