LYMINGTON & NEW MILTON F.C.

Match Report 2001/2002 Linnets gain slender advantage Tuesday 12th February 2002 : Wessex League Cup Quarter Final 1st Leg Lymington & New Milton 1, Wimborne Town 0

LEAGUE CUP

Report based on that by the Daily Echo

DARREN Mooney secured a first leg lead for Lymington & New Milton with the only goal of the game in their League Cup Quarter Final First Leg tie with arch rivals Wimborne Town at Fawcett's Field. The two sides were locked in a 2-2 league encounter at Cuthbury only last Saturday and have now played each other four times already this season with just one goal in the Linnets' favour separating the teams. On a heavy pitch in blustery, wet conditions throughout the 90 minutes, the two former Wessex League champions once again played out another tight and competitive but fair encounter, with not one player entering the referee's notebook.

In the opening five minutes of the game there could have been three goals, with Kevin Gill and Aaron Turner both going close for the Magpies and Richard Glenister firing straight at the Wimborne 'keeper at the other end. The only goal of the game came just before the quarter hour mark when an attack by the home side saw the ball being cleared from the Magpies' goalmouth, but only as far as Darren Mooney on the edge of the box and with a terrific right foot effort he thumped home a superb strike to give the home side the advantage.

It was much the same after the break with a Turner header being denied by a great save from Spillane in the Linnets' goal, and at the other end Gareth Keeping's header flew inches over the Wimborne crossbar. Glenister then had two opportunities to double L&NM's lead but a tremendous block from Magpies' stalwart Jamie Sturgess prevented one effort from finding the net, while the other attempt flew just wide.

The two sides, who currently occupy positions in the top four of the Wessex League, will meet for the last time this season at Cuthbury next Tuesday night for the second leg (kick off 7.30pm), with the prize of a semi final encounter against current Wessex League champions Andover.

Lymington & New Milton : Spillane, Strong, Green, Kemp, Morris, Mooney, Gazzard, Smith, Tate, Glenister, Keeping. Unused subs: Drew, J. Grace, B. Phillips.

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.

  Online with the Linnets © Paul Johns MMII