MANAGER Wayne Lockey saw Ringwood Town crash out of their final cup competition on Tuesday – and then put out the flags at Long Lane.

Lockey believes Town’s involvement on no fewer than four different fronts has come as an unwelcome distraction to their main aim of promotion from Wessex One.

Since winning their opening three league games of the season, Town have slipped off the pace after becoming victims of their own success in the cups.

However, a 2-0 defeat at Blackfield & Langley in the Wessex League Cup in midweek has left Ringwood to concentrate solely on the league.

“You want to try to do as well as you can in the FA Cup and FA Vase to get some money but the cup runs have put us back a bit,” said Lockey, who led Town to a famous victory over Yate in the FA Cup before they eventually bowed out to Cinderford.

“We were playing so well at the start of the season. We beat Yate 4-1 and then went to Cinderford and were on the wrong end of a result with seven players missing. That set us back and the players lost a bit of confidence.

“We need to try to pick that up because promotion is our aim. In the nicest sense, winning at Blackfield wasn’t the most important thing. We treated it as a training game and got what we needed out of it. Hopefully, it will be onwards and upwards now.”

Ringwood: T Taylor, Old, Chattey, Burrett, Leadbetter, Clarke, Howes (Sellick-Pilley, 65), Midson, Homer (Schwartz, 70), Marks, Bladen (Wells, 65).

<•>Harry Potter scored in extra-time and then grabbed a decisive spot kick as Bashley were sent spinning out of the Hampshire Senior Cup 4-2 on penalties by Wessex One outfit Horndean.

Substitute Potter drew first blood two minutes into extra-time before Chris Knowles netted to force a shootout. Knowles and Paul Roberts both took excellent penalties for Bash before Chris Ferrett and Taz Roberts both missed, leaving Potter to spark jubilant scenes among the visiting contingent.

Bash: Prodomo, Murray, Oliver, Byrne, Whitley, P Roberts, Hill (Knowles, 65), T Roberts, Allen, Maxwell (Riley 90), Ferrett. Unused subs: Middleton, Digby, Smith.

<•>Christchurch also exited the Hampshire Senior Cup at the second round stage following a 1-0 defeat at Combined Counties League outfit Hartley Wintney.

Priory: Dand, Sanderson, Legg, Grace, Bryan, Harris, Rideout, Griffin (Ewen, h-t), Burden, Dancer (Costello, 70), Osborne.

<•>Teenage striker Kent Eriksen netted twice as Bournemouth Poppies eased past Hamble in the first round of the Russell-Cotes Cup.

Eriksen’s second-half double put the finishing touches to Poppies’ 5-2 triumph after Tom Jeffes, George Webb and Andy Culliford had also scored.

Poppies: Vaughan, Rowley, Cole (Mansell, 89), Byrne, Crutcher, Webb, Culliford, Blake, Eriksen, Jeffes, Saadi (Wilson, 89). Unused subs: Cream, Harvell (g/k).