Nine-man Meon Milton dump higher division Fleetlands out of the Hampshire Premier League Cup

Connor Mansfield’s first-half brace put the Division 1 South East hosts in control before the Coptermen had to change their goalkeeper.

Derek Harding was injured in the warm-up and was unable to continue, with defender Jamie Winter taking over in goal.

Luke Heard reduced the arrears before Meon player-boss Bikram Singh was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

Meon were briefly down to nine men when Ben Johns was sinbinned. On his return to action, they were permanently dowo to nine when captain Frankie Scott was sent for dissent.

Despite their numerical advantage, however, Fleetlands were unable to find an equaliser against a Meon side that had beaten 4-1 in the Portsmouth Senior Cup last month.

It was a second cup exit in four days for caretaker boss Chris Blakeman, whose side had lost 4-1 at Locks Heath in the PSC the previous Wednesday.

‘We conceded early in both games,’ said Blakeman. ‘I know they (Meon) went down to nine men but they worked hard and got men behind the ball. We’d given ourselves a mountain to climb, though, and given them something to hold onto.

‘They say you learn more in defeat than in a victory and I’ve certainly learnt a lot about myself as a manager and my team in the last two games.’

Fleetlands - who have put in seven days notice of approach for Moneyfields Reserves defender Brandon Rogers - play a fourth cup tie in 11 days on Tuesday when they travel to Wessex 1 high-fliers Folland Sports in the second round of the Russell Cotes Cup.

Locks Heath are also in Russell Cotes midweek action, against Wessex 1 outfit Andover New Street.

Locks are bidding for their third cup win in a row after following up their PSC drubbing of Fleetlands with a 4-0 victory at Stockbridge in the Hampshire Premier League Cup.

Ryan Bath struck a hat-trick at the weekend to take his seasonal tally to 15.

Meon Milton will host Harvest or Headley in the quarter-finals of the HPL Cup, while Locks host either Winchester Castle or QK Southampton. Moneyfields Reserves travel to Hook and Colden Common host Sway.

Sway reached the last eight with a 4-0 home win over Hayling. Clayd Roach, recently handed an AFC Portchester debut, struck the opener before Babatunde Akintolu came off the bench to net a second half hat-trick.

Colden Common progressed with a 3-2 success at Paulsgrove.