It was a case of happy returns for BAT boss Andy Leader who went back to his old club, AFC Newbury, on Saturday and came away with a superb 4-2 success.

"It was a great performance from us today and we were well worth the win," beamed Leader.

"Dave Roberts will probably steal the headlines with his goals but both he and Richie Gregory were fantastic today and they posed Newbury loads and loads of problems at the back.

"We had a chat with the lads during the week and said that if we kept on working hard then our luck just had to change. We need to go and build on this result now," he added.

The Tobaccomen struck with an early goal, Gregory pulling the ball back across the penalty area for Roberts to lash home from 18 yards but BAT were still trailing at the break as goals from James Caswell and Guy Roberts gave the Berkshire side a 2-1 lead.

BAT equalised on the hour mark when Paul West's free-kick was headed home by Roberts, who completed his hat-trick ten minutes later after rounding the 'keeper to slide the ball home.

Goal-hungry Roberts rammed in his fourth goal on 75 minutes following a goalmouth scramble and Newbury must have known it wasn't to be their day when BAT 'keeper Gareth Barfoot saved Brian Wood's late spot-kick.

Gosport Borough missed the opportunity to close the gap on table-toppers Winchester City after being held to a 2-2 draw by Bemerton Heath Harlequins at Western Way.

Ian Rew gave Borough an early lead only for Stuart Findlay to level from the penalty spot - his 11th goal of the season - on 28 minutes after he had been fouled.

Adam Nash's 20-yard free-kick then put the home side ahead after 62 minutes with Graham Lindsay grabbing Gosport's point-saver five minutes from time.

That draw means that Wimborne Town leapfrog Borough into second place on goal difference after the Magpies came from behind to defeat near neighbours Bournemouth Poppies 2-1 at Victoria Park.

Richard Glenister turned well to fire Poppies ahead on 30 minutes but a Marcus Oldbury double in the last 20 minutes saw Wimborne take maximum points.

First, Darren Powell knocked the ball down for Oldbury to shoot home from just inside the penalty area before Gareth Barnes hooked a Jamie Sturgess cross over his shoulder for Oldbury to volley into the net.

Wimborne boss Paul Arnold said: "We had to grind out the result today as these local derbies always have that extra edge. It's a very pleasing result. We are 12 games unbeaten now with seven straight league wins."

Blackfield & Langley scored an impressive 3-0 victory over Portland United to keep themselves well clear of trouble at the bottom of the table.

The Watersiders co-manager Tony Feeney said: "It's a fantastic win and a really good solid performance from us today.

"We lost 3-2 down there earlier in the season and felt that we really should have got something from that game so we owed them one. These three points close the gap in the middle of the table at that's where we are aiming for."

All the goals came in the second half, Steve Wheatland netting with a near-post header from Andy McIsaac's cross to give Blackfield the lead on the hour mark.

McIsaac was the supply route again ten minutes later, this time with a far post delivery onto the head of Jimmy Dickens and Robbie Randall wrapped up matters with a third after Wheatland had closed down the Portland 'keeper.

Blackfield's New Forest neighbours Brockenhurst also scooped maximum points with a 4-0 win in their basement battle at Downton.

Brock player/manager Graham Kemp said: "It's nice to score a few goals and keep a clean sheet. This win was important, especially with the way the other results have gone."

Mark Isaacson headed the visitors into a 20th-minute lead from a John Grace corner kick and doubled their advantage with another header, this time from a Steve Jenkins flag kick.

Brockenhurst hit the Wiltshire side with a third before the break through Jenkins before substitute Dan Marks climbed off the bench to notch a late fourth from a Craig Harris cross.