LYMINGTON & NEW MILTON FC | Match Report 2001/2002 |
Pike looks on as Linnets cup hopes are demolishedTuesday 19th March 2002 :
|
LEAGUE CUP |
Reigning champions Andover demolished Lymington &
New Milton at the Portway Stadium to keep their hopes of a league and cup
"double" very much on course. Starting this match with a 3-1 advantage from the
first leg at New Milton, the Lions always looked in control of the game and
ruthlessly exploited the Linnets' attempts to find a way back into the tie.
Watched by their newly-appointed assitant manager, Alex Pike, this was
a Linnets' performance that showed all the shortcomings that have seen them
drop below the high standards of recent seasons. In steady rain and on a greasy
pitch which in parts looked to have the consistency of rice pudding, both teams
tried to condense the play by defending high up the pitch, leaving acres of
space at the back for strikers to exploit with the right pass.
The only
issue was who would adapt to the conditions better. With Leigh Phillips and
Steve Tate held in a virtual stranglehold by a well marshalled home defence it
always looked more likely that the home side would provide the breakthrough.
Playing in a style which eschews finesse in favour of hard hit diagonal passes
and willing and able runners, it seemed only a matter of time before the Lions
drew first blood.
That it took them most of the first half to do so was
largely due to some spirited defending and a lot of offside decisions favouring
the visitors. L&NM's cause was not helped when Steve Strong, whose pace had
seemed the most likely source of prising open the home side's offside trap, was
injured and had to be substituted, Gareth Keeping taking his place. The
frustration was clearly mounting and Leigh Phillips and Darren Mooney both
incurred the referee's displeasure for arguing their case too
volubly.
Inevitably however, the goal came. After Dave Asker had been
put in on goal by a poor clearance and had hit the post when it seemed easier
to score, Paul Odey crossed the ball to leading goalscorer Andy Forbes who
netted with the aid of a defender's deflection to give the home side an
interval lead.
With the tie all but lost, the Linnets threw caution to
the wind in the second-half, bringing on recently injured leading scorer,
Richie Glenister to form a three-man attack. Unfortunately this simply gave
more time and space at the back for the home side to exploit. This they did to
perfection early in the second half when Forbes was played in behind the
Linnets' defence and he crossed for Paul Odey to score.
At the other
end, Lymington & New Milton's strike force, who because of injury and
suspension have only had a handful of games together in the past few weeks,
seemed to lack the cohesion so evident in the home side's attack and with the
midfield seeming to get bogged down in the mud, or isolated out wide; there
seemed little chance of a face-saving score. Instead it was Andover who piled
on the agony, gaining a third goal through Matt Bicknell from the penalty spot
after Simpson had been brought down.
There was to be no let-up. This
time it was Dyke who tormented the L&NM defence before crossing for Odey to
score and in the final minute, Forbes once again turned provider as he broke
and crossed for Odey to complete his hat-trick. The Lions now meet Fleet in the
final on May 6th at Gosport and on this performance it will be a brave man who
bets against them. In the meantime, L&NM have to pick themselves up and put
this one behind them as quickly as possible, particularly since they have to
face the same opponents twice more before the season ends, with the next
encounter due in a week's time in the Semi-finals of the Russell Cotes Cup at
New Milton.
Lymington & New Milton: Kearn, Strong [Keeping],
B. Phillips [Glenister], Gazzard, Morris, Kemp, Mooney, Smith, L Phillips
[Town], Tate, Drew.
Navigation
: |
||||
Home Page | Fixtures Page | League Table | Record Page | Results Archive |
Online with the Linnets © Paul Johns MMII