Match Report 2000/2001Leigh off but Eastleigh seen offSaturday 7th April 2001 : Jewson Wessex LeagueEastleigh 0, Lymington & New Milton 1 |
Lymington & New Milton's leading marksman Leigh
Phillips is known for his whole-hearted approach to the game, it is one reason
why he gets so many goals for the Linnets but, just occasionally, it also gets
him into trouble! So it was in this match when, just over half-way through the
first half, Phillips challenged the home goalkeeper for a loose ball and was
dismissed for what the referee apparently considering to be stamping on his
opponent.
This was obviously a set-back to the Linnets, who were just
beginning to exert some control against a home side that had pressured them
from the kick-off. With a number of players missing through injury, the Linnets
fielded a team that, on paper at least, had a 3-4-3 formation with youngster
Gareth Keeping again given a chance in the midfield line. Playing in (the by
now customary) awful conditions, Lymington & New Milton took a while to
come to terms with their opponents with Smith and Keeping having to work
particularly hard to protect their defence. Having weathered Eastleigh's
initial pressure however, the Linnets were just beginning to show their mettle
when Phillips was dismissed. Hoping to exploit their numerical advantage, the
home side resumed the offensive and the Linnets were, in player-manager Graham
Kemp's words, "hanging on until half-time."
Half-Time : Eastleigh 0,
L. & N.M. 0
Having reorganised during the break, Lymington &
New Milton played the second half with a confidence that must have dismayed
their opponents, particularly since they did it with only ten men. Always
trying to take the game to the home side with a characteristic display of
passing football which belied the conditions, the Linnets were rewarded half
way through the period by a goal from Stuart Hussey, who broke on the
right and finished with a well-struck shot inside the near post. Neither was
this a case of "smash-and-grab" as L.& N.M. forced a series of corners and
several good saves from the Eastleigh 'keeper both before and after the
goal.
The game was marred to some degree by an officious referee, who
appeared not to take account of the conditions when handing out a number of
bookings but the Linnets could take credit for a determined team performance
which overcame all obstacles to take the three points back to Fawcetts Field.
Afterwards, Graham Kemp suggested that an appeal might be lodged against
Phillips' dismissal but that he would await a copy of the referee's report
before deciding. Phillips vehemently denies the stamping allegation and Kemp,
after discussing the incident with the player after the match said; "Leigh has
gone in 100 per cent like he tends to do and I think he feels that he is being
victimised by people who take offence to his totally committed attitude. Leigh
said that Gage [Eastleigh's 'keeper] had dropped the ball and he challenged for
it."
On a personal note, I do not know the rights and wrongs of this
particular case but I would be very disappointed if players were prevented from
giving their full commitment to the game in the way that Leigh Phillips clearly
does.
Lymington & New Milton : Kearn, Strong, Gazzard, Kemp,
Morris, B. Phillips, Keeping, Smith, S. Hussey, L. Phillips, 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.