LYMINGTON & NEW MILTON F.C.


Match Report 2001/2002

Swans submerged by second half goal storm

Saturday 13th October 2001 : Jewson Wessex League

Lymington & New Milton 5, Swanage & Herston 0



Needing to get their stuttering league campaign back on track before being diverted by more cup activity, this match ultimately proved to be what Linnets player-manager Graham Kemp would have wanted. However, it took a much improved second half performance by Lymington & New Milton to see off a side that has struggled to find any sort of form in the Wessex league so far this season.

The home side were frustrated in the first 45 minutes, partly due to some excellent goalkeeping by James in the visitor's goal. They had chances to score, with Ross Drew hitting a post and Gareth Keeping forcing James into a point-blank save from his close range header. Then, Richard Glenister, Graham Kemp himself and Keeping again, all had efforts which were denied by the Swans' 'keeper and the visitors must have felt some sense of achievement by holding out until the interval with their goal still intact.

Half-Time : L.&N.M. 0, Swanage 0

For a while at the start of the second half, it must have seemed that Swanage might maintain their tenuous hold on the game, offering little in attack burt working hard to deny the Linnets the breakthrough they desperately needed.

This all changed fifteen minutes into the half and, having just come on in place of Chris Marwood, it was Matt Town who provided the key that unlocked the visitor's defence, when he latched onto a through ball from Brett Phillips, drew the 'keeper and slotted the ball home. Seeking to press home their advantage, Lymington & New Milton forced the pace and within five minutes had doubled their lead when a Brett Phillips corner was only half cleared by the Swans' defence to Gareth Keeping who struck an excellent shot into the roof of the net to record his fifth goal of the season.

Three minutes later, a flicked header by Glenister found Matt Town, who volleyed low into the net for his second and the Linnets' third of the afternoon. Almost immediately after, Glenister was withdrawn and it was his replacement, Scott Metcalf, who ran onto a long ball over the Swans' defence by Kemp, and rounded the 'keeper to score number four despite vigorous appeals for offside from the Swanage defence. Number five was a virtual rerun of the previous goal with Scott Metcalf again the beneficiary of a another through ball, this time from Drew, and once again the 'keeper was beaten in a one-on-one situation.

All of which goal action was a relief to player-manager Graham Kemp : "We had four or five chances to score before we eventually did and while the game remained at 0-0, there was always a chance we would get a bit nervy. Once we had taken the lead they had to open up a bit and that's where we stated scoring all our goals. I think they came to play for a draw but I really don't think they can have any complaints about the result."

Lymington & New Milton : Kearn, Gazzard, Grace, Kemp, Morris, B. Phillips, Keeping, Drew, Glenister [Metcalf 65], Marwood [Town 55], Bailey-Pearce [Paul Morrell 85].


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.


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