But credit must also go to Bedfont of the Cobined Counties League who put up a brave fight. Indeed the visitors should have taken an early lead when Chris Fossey blazed over the bar from close range.

United took time to settle but broke the deadlock on 22 minutes. Gary Wotton centred and Hill headed across the face of the goal for Joe to hook the ball in.

However, six minutes later United keeper James Courtnage dropped a harmless looking cross and Gary Jenkins fired into an empty net to level.

Early in the second half luck was on United's side when a Highton shot was going well wide, but Hill was on hand to loop a header in and restore the lead.

On 68 minutes Joe latched onto a Wotton pass to round Wells and score, then two minutes later Hill made it 4-1 with a blistering 35 yard shot.

This appeared to put the result beyond doubt, but the visitors quickly hit back. On 73 minutes Fossey capitalised on slack defending to beat Courtnage from the edge of the box, then three minutes from the end a shot by Watson rebounded off Scott Honeyball and flew past Courtnage to pull another goal back.

To the relief of the home support, time soon ran out for plucky Bedfont.