A MUCH changed Andover Town side bounced back from last week’s double cup heartbreak with an impressive 4-0 home win over Newport (IOW).

The Portway side were hoping to regain their impressive league form after being dumped out of the FA Cup and Hants Senior Cup in the same week.

Manager Neil Benson rang the changes, bringing in seven different faces to the starting lineup from the team that played in the defeat at Totton and Eling.

The move paid off with Town opening the scoring after just three minutes.

Winger Ollie Yates beat two defenders before driving a cross to Liam Gilbert who hit his shot low past the Newport keeper.

Fellow wide man Sammy Pekun was proving a constant threat on the opposite flank and after 10 minutes was brought crashing down by Liam Triggs, leaving referee Josh Osofa with no choice but to award a penalty.

Brad Benson’s spot kick was saved by Cameron Farley but the keeper could only parry out to Benson who made no mistake with the rebound.

England Schoolboy star Charlie Gunson, playing as Town’s central striker, lead the line well and was rewarded with a goal on the half-hour mark.

The youngster latched on to a long ball before controlling well and slotting a low shot into the bottom corner to put Town 3-0 up.

Jamie Bray, a spectator until the 34th minute, was forced into a good save by Connor Kelly before Yates turned the ball home only for the referee’s assistant to rule that Pekun’s cross had crossed the byline.

Bray was forced into a great save as the half closed, turning away a 30-yard volley from Joe Butcher, maintaining Town’s three-goal lead into the break.

Town continued to create the best chances after the break with Gilbert shooting just wide from the edge of the area, before Matt Scott headed a Lewis Benson cross against the post.

The pressure eventually told when Pekun burst into the area and, despite little apparent contact with Farley, saw the referee point to the spot and show the keeper a yellow card.

Jordan O’Donnell stepped up and scored with the spot-kick for Town’s fourth goal.

Benson made changes with the game coming to a close but it made no difference to the score as Town ran out 4-0 winners.

Town moved up to second, a point behind leaders Salisbury, with two games in hand.