WHITCHURCH took another step along the League Cup trail which led them to the semifinal last season, with a two goal victory over a New Milton side that worked hard but ultimately did not have enough to trouble their Premier Division hosts.

Whitchurch were missing Jack McCarthy, Josh Green, Ben Thomson, Tim Brasseur and Ryan Lambert for various reasons, meaning there was a full start for Tom Lockyer, happily now recovered from an early season injury.

They were quickly into their stride with visiting keeper Tom Jackson turning aside a Jack Garner shot after good work by Danny Phillips and then seeing a Jamie Mansell free-kick rebound to safety off the bar.

The keeper then blocked a Phillips effort at close range before play switched to the other end with Cole Hinchcliffe stopping a New Milton attack at the expense of a corner. This was a momentary respite for the visitors as Lockyer and Garner combined to give Mansell an opening then a Garner effort smacked against the post.

Finally, with half-time rapidly approaching, the home side made the break through with the clever Phillips making ground down the right before pulling the ball back into Garner’s path and the midfielder beat Jackson from 12 yards.

The visitors created the first chance of the second half but a free-kick from the edge of the box was too high before the home side doubled their lead.

The mercurial Phillips was brought down in the box and in the absence of regular penalty taker Green, Mansell confidently slotted home the spot-kick.

Sam Bayston was too high from distance for the visitors before the game petered out to give the Jam Boys a place in round three, where they will entertain fellow Premier Division high fliers Blackfield and Langley.