LYMINGTON & NEW MILTON F.C.

Match Report 2001/2002

"Error of judgement" costs points

Saturday 27th October 2001 : Jewson Wessex League

Lymington & New Milton 1, Eastleigh 3

Report Courtesy of the Daily Echo

Linnets' boss Graham Kemp admitted an "error of judgment from goalkeeper Stuart Kearn cost his side a share of the points at home to in-form Eastleigh. The former Sheffield Wednesday stopper was sent off for handling the ball outside his area midway throught the second half as the New Forest side's title hope suffered a severe setback at Fawcett's Field.

Kemp said : "I don't think Stuart can have any complaints - it was one of those split second decisions where he came out to challenge the player and ended up handling it seven yards outside the box." Kearn's dismissal came just as top-scorer Richard Glenister had bagged his 12th goal of the season [14th by my reckoning! - PJ] to bring the score back to 2-1 after 13th placed Eastleigh [13th after beating us! -PJ] had stormed into a 2-0 lead.

The former Poole Town hit-man [and before that Lymington & NM ! - PJ] side footed James Bailey-Pearce's perfectly timed cross into the net after a Liam Green penalty and a further Odhianbio strike had put the visitors in command. Green beat Kearn from 12 yards after defender Gary Grace had upended the Eastleigh striker on the edge of the six-yard box. Grace later took over in goal after Kearn had been red-carded.

Lymington & New Milton : Kearn, Liddon [Smith 70], Bailey-Pearce, Kemp, Gazzard, B. Phillips [Marwood 35], Keeping, Drew, Glenister, Metcalf [Town 65], Grace.

Footnote : as you may be able to discern form my inserted comments, I was not over-impressed with this 'report'. No mention of the injury to Brett Phillips that meant he had to go off after 35 minutes or that the Linnets made a valiant effort to draw level when down to ten-men or any sense whatsoever of what sort of team Eastleigh were!

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.