Nursling shoot down Wessex high-fliers.

It is always a feather in the cap for a local league when one of its number claims the scalp of a county league side. But for Southampton Senior League Nursling to score five goals at Otterbourne, who are highly placed in the second division of The Wessex League, will raise more than a few eyebrows.

Nursling were League champions last term but had not begun the present campaign so well and were looking for a result that would kick start their season.

They were first out of the blocks and ahead within five minutes with a vintage strike, an excellent team move culminating in a clinical shot into the top corner of the goal.

The hosts hit back, however, and were denied a penalty after a defender appeared to handle on the goal line. Otterbourne's Chris Knight fired high with only the goalkeeper to beat but Paul Beckett equalised on the half hour, meeting a corner kick sweetly with his left foot.

Nursling restored their lead before the break, a striker slipping his marker to convert a centre with ease and they scored again in the early minutes of the second half.

Otterbourne suffered a double blow when Joe Sheridan was red carded and Knight was forced to leave the fray injured.

The addition of front-runners Dave Ford and Tim Jones breathed new life into the side however and, midway through the half, they pulled a goal back, Nick Cole ending a weaving run with a fine finish.

The visitors swept straight to the other end to score their fourth goal and, although Otterbourne's Gareth Mead continued to battle for everything in midfield, this took the wind out of his side's sails. Nursling rubbed salt into the wounds with a fifth goal before the end. Goalkeeper Lee Rockingham made a good save but the loose ball went in off a defender.