Match Report 2000/2001Strong treble as Linnets maintain 100% recordTuesday 12th September 2000 : Jewson Wessex LeagueLymington & New Milton 4, B.A.T. 0 |
Following hard on the heels of their excellent win
against Cowes, the Linnets' took advantage of the postponement of virtually all
other league fixtures because of the fuel crisis and pulled off another
convincing victory to strengthen their hold at the top of the Wessex
table.
The home side exerted their authority over the team from Totton
right from the start of this match and within minutes the visitor's 'keeper
Kemmis was pushing a pile-driving shot from Strong round the post, then
clutching Mottashed's header from just under the bar. He was soon to be beaten
however, as on 7 minutes, Sims set up Steve Strong and he was able to
pick his spot before netting an accurate 20-yard shot.
Five minutes
later they were two up, with Nigel Mottashed ramming home a free-kick
through the defensive wall after Glenister had been brought down just outside
the penalty area. Strong was posing all sorts of problems for the visitors and
a chance went begging when he squared the ball across B.A.T.'s goal but no one
was able to convert. In a rare attack, the visitors managed to earn a corner in
the 23rd minute but it was wasted as Chance headed wide.
No such
profligacy from the Linnets however, when on 34 minutes, good play resulted in
the visiting defence being wrong-footed and left Steve Strong with an
easy chance which he placed into an empty net. Sims and Glenister went close
with further chances while the visitors lost the services of Hodder, who was
stretchered from the field after coming off worse in an aerial challenge but
fortunately was not as seriously injured as it first
appeared.
Half-Time : L.&N.M. 3, B.A.T. 0
Taking
advantage of the scoreline to rotate his depleted squad, Derek Binns withdrew
Sims and Glenister at half-time, replacing them with Town and Gonzales. This
did not detract from the Linnets' performance however and right at the start of
the second half, Kemmis in the visitor's goal was called into action to push an
effort from Huxford round the post. With the home side in the ascendant, Nigel
Mottashed was taking every opportunity to push forward and a shot from him was
cleared off the goal-line, while a drive by Brett Phillips was desparately
parried by Kemmis.
The visitors could make little headway against a
commanding home defence in which Morris and Kemp, in particular, stood out.
Linnets' 'keeper Kearn was only really tested once when he was forced to tip a
drive from Bundy round for a corner, which ended with Gregory heading over the
bar.
Midway through the second-half, Lymington & New Milton made it
4-0 when a cross from the right by Stride caused complete confusion in the
defence and allowed Steve Strong to complete a well earned hat-trick.
Shortly after, he was substituted by Rideout who got in a snap-shot on the
visitor's goal only to direct it straight at Kemmis.
Further chances to
improve the score-line were wasted by the home side as Town set up Rideout
whose shot blazed over the bar. This was followed by a virtual action replay
with Brett Phillips this time launching the ball on a car-park bound
trajectory. Nevertheless, this was a good win for the Linnets and maintains
their 100% start to the season while putting pressure on the chasing pack to
keep winning their matches in order to stay in touch.
Lymington &
New Milton : Kearn, Stride, Kemp, Morris, B. Phillips, Mottashed, Huxford,
Grace, Glenister, Strong, Sims, subs : Rideout, Gonzales, Town.
Match reports on this site are based on those appearing in the New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times (except where separately credited) with additional material from my own resources where relevant.