PETE King cracked a brace and Luke Homer and Russell Dyer were also on target as Verwood romped into a 4-0 lead inside 40 minutes.

But Hythe and Dibden hit back to make the home team sweat before Adie Arnold's charges secured a vital Division One win to keep them in fifth place.

Arnold said: "I asked for a response after our 2-0 midweek defeat at Ringwood and I got the one I wanted.

"I was proud of my players on Saturday.

"We played some good football in the first half and victory puts us back in the promotion frame.

"Now we've got to try and stay in the top pack because we have a lot of injuries at the moment.

"We're away to league leaders Blackfield and Langley, who've won five out of five, on Tuesday (7.45pm) so we'll go there and give it our best shot.

"We were 4-0 up after 35 minutes against Hythe but chucked a goal away before half time.

"They got a second goal five minutes into the second half following a goalkeeping mistake and grabbed a third 20 minutes from the end.

"At 4-3 you are on tenterhooks and it looked like we would chuck it away. But the lads dug deep and we hung on for a good win."

Verwood: Willis, Yerby, Lynch, Moore, Faulkner, Homer, Arnold, Cousins, Elysee, King, Dyer. Unused subs: Martin Newbury, Matt Newbury, Giles, Beverley.