BEMERTON Heath finally have lift-off in the Sydenhams Premier Division.

Rae Hughes’ Harlequins clocked up their first league win on Saturday at the expense of Fareham Town.

With 15 minutes remaining Fareham were leading by a Curt Robbins goal scored late in the first half.

But Bemerton improved after the break and equalised when Scott Hassell struck from Jake Rawkins’ corner.

Sub Sam Matthews rifled home Heath’s winner after latching onto a long ball over the top.

It meant a fourth defeat on the bounce for Fareham and manager Pete Stiles fumed: “We were rubbish and didn’t deserve anything.”

Following a reshuffle of their backroom staff, Bemerton have appointed Andy Nash as assistant manager.

Cowes Sports have climbed to tenth after registering their second 2-0 win in the space of six days.

Myles Taylor and sub George Turner struck two late goals to sink an Amesbury Town side who finished the game with ten men.

Former league leaders Baffins Milton Rovers had two players red-carded as they crashed 4-2 at Shaftesbury.

Harry Beckley, Nick Hewlett, Jack Mitchell and sub Ken Kauppinen fired Shaftesbury to victory, with Harry Wedlake and sub Joel Jackson netting Baffins’ replies.

PORTLAND United boss Simon Browne admitted his players were “upset, annoyed and angry” after leaking yet another late goal in their 2-2 draw with Petersfield Town at Grove Corner.

It was the fourth time this season that the reigning Sydenhams Premier champions had conceded a late equaliser.

Blaming “poor decision-making”, Browne said: “That’s eight points we have dropped from winning positions now and it’s a tad frustrating to say the least.”

Sam Buckler and Lewis Whyton twice gave Portland the lead, but the Rams pegged them back each time courtesy of Luke Walker and a last-gasp Sean Evans leveller.

“The bottom line is that we’ve got to kill sides off,” said Browne. “That’s four games now and I think in every single one of them we’ve had chances to put them away.”

For managerless Petersfield, it was a good way to bounce back from a hefty 7-0 midweek loss to Alresford Town.

Coach Tim Farmer, who has taken over the reins following the departure of boss Jim Macey, said: “With the games coming thick and fast, it has been difficult to find the time to improve the players individually and collectively on the training ground, but that will be vital in the weeks ahead to see further improvement in performances and results.”

NEWPORT IW’s caretaker management team were unable to halt the Islanders’ losing streak at Brockenhurst on Saturday.

Senior players Gary Streeter and Darren Powell have taken temporary charge following Andy Sampson’s decision to stand down last week.

With Emerson Tattersall and Jared Wetherick suspended, the duo handed debuts to Jacob Reynolds and Tony Potts for the trip to Grigg Lane where Port were beaten 3-0 - their third straight Sydenhams Premier defeat.

Brockenhurst took just nine minutes to go ahead when Matt Burt kept a deep free kick in play and, with Port’s defence standing like statues, squared for Aaron Dunne to fire home.

It remained 1-0 until the 79th minute when Will Tickle beat the visiting defence to a long through ball and stroked it past Will O’Carroll in the Newport goal.

Two minutes later it got worse for the Islanders when they needlessly conceded a free-kick on the edge of the box. That was manna from heaven for set-piece king Mark Barker who stylishly netted his sixth goal of the season.

Brockenhurst, up to eighth, handed a debut off the bench to Ollie Dennett.