The Sydenhams Wessex League’s interest in this season’s FA Vase is over after a bad night at the races for Newport (IoW) against Ascot United.

Two-goal Jon Bennett scored in reach half to send Ascot through to the sixth round, with Alex Prezpolewski’s late goal for the visitors proving to be a consolation.

Newport led 2-1 against Ascot’s ten men on Saturday only to concede a 96th-minute equaliser . But they could not respond with a late leveller of their own at the Racecourse Ground, where they were playing for the second time in four days because of the dire state of their own pitch.

The Islanders had their chances to take the lead.

Prezpolewski came as close to anyone to opening the scoring, clipping the top of the crossbar from with an audacious 30-yard strike, before Bennett opened the scoring just before half-time.

And former AFC Totton man John McKie was let down by a poor first touch shortly before Bennett’s 42nd minute strike.

He also shot wide after a threatening run down the left flank, before switching to the right after the break, when Iain Seabrook came off the bench.

No-one managed to get on the end of Seabrook’s tantalising left-flank cross at the beginning of the second half and left-back Ryan Oatley saw a similar centre go begging.

With an hour gone, Ascot’s number nine doubled his side’s lead. Substitute Rob Gier made an incisive run down the right, and Bennett converted the cross at the far post.

Bennett shot high and wide when he had the chance to complete his hat-trick and Prezpolewski set up an interesting finish when he capitalised on a mistake to thread in his latest goal of a prolific season.

But there was no photo finish this time.