LYMINGTON & NEW MILTON F.C.


Match Report 2000/2001

Strong treble as Linnets maintain 100% record

Tuesday 12th September 2000 : Jewson Wessex League

Lymington & 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.