NEWENT Town progressed to the next round of the UHL Supplementary Challenge Cup with a 4-1 away win against Bourton Rovers Development at Rissington Road.

The Daffs went into the second-round tie aiming to secure their place in the hat for the next stage, and the opening exchanges were evenly balanced as both sides looked to find their rhythm.

Clear-cut chances were limited in the early stages, with neither side able to break the deadlock during the first half.

The breakthrough arrived right at the end of the opening period. On 45 minutes, the visitors were awarded a penalty and Samuel Judge stepped up to take it, converting from the spot to give the Daffs a 1-0 lead at the interval.

That advantage was doubled almost immediately after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, another penalty was awarded and Judge once again made no mistake, calmly sending the ball home to make it 2-0.

Bourton responded on 70 minutes when Harry Burrell scored for the hosts, reducing the deficit to 2-1 and setting up a tense final spell of the contest.

Town re-established their two-goal lead with five minutes remaining. A shot from the edge of the area by Simon Craddock bounced through to Judge, who finished clinically to complete his hat-trick and put the visitors back in control at 3-1.

There was still time for one more goal before the final whistle. In the closing moments, Max Le Poidevin delivered a free kick into the penalty area and Ben Harbourne met it with a guided header into the top corner, sealing the 4-1 victory.

The result confirmed Newent Town’s progression to the next round of the UHL Supplementary Challenge Cup. Judge’s hat-trick proved decisive, with Harbourne also on the scoresheet, as the Daffs moved on in the competition.

Attention now turns back to league action for the Daffs, who face another away trip this weekend when they travel to the Meadowbank Ground to take on Shortwood United in Hellenic League Division One.

The fixture presents a contrast in circumstances, with the hosts battling near the foot of the table, sitting one place outside the relegation zone and in need of points to ease the pressure.

For Newent, the focus will be on building momentum and strengthening their position in the play-off places, as they look to maintain their challenge in the upper reaches of the division.

It was also a busy afternoon at Wildsmith Meadow, where Newent Town’s development side were in action at home in the Hellenic Alliance West.

The Daffs hosted Clanfield 85 Development, but it proved to be a difficult day, with the visitors taking control early and going on to secure an 8-0 victory. Clanfield led 5-0 at half-time and continued to add to their tally after the break.

The result leaves Newent’s development team second from bottom in the Hellenic Alliance West table, with four points from eight matches, having recorded just one win so far this season.