WESSEX LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER 2013
LYMINGTON TOWN 2 VERWOOD TOWN 3

5 minutes gone and Fawcett saved the blushes with a great save diving to his right to turn the ball round the post. Lymington had wasted no time at all to string a clinical move together finishing with a shot from the edge of the box.

The corner, watched carefully by Oldring was headed clear of the area but fell to an unmarked player 20 yards out. The shot went high over the bar.

Webb moved the ball wide to Saxby. Evans overlapped to punt the ball into the box and there was Lovell to rise higher than defenders but to watch the effort fly over the angle of the bar and post.

Only 7 minutes had gone by when Lovell made ground centrally then tried a shot that the keeper parried. Lovell followed in and cut the ball back to Homer. Homer's trusty left peg put the ball in the net. 1-0.

Lymington's response was to push us back with some good football. Evans and Homer were busy containing flank play and our two stalwart central defenders were as solid as ever.

Evans pace took him clear of his marker and a pin point cross landed in the six yard box. Oldring had seen th possibility of an increase in 'goals for' but his header landed on the roof of the net.

At this stage we were edging possession and Munday went close from a good move down the left with Dyer dropping a great pass for a pop at goal. The keeper did well to catch a rising ball.

Gajic tried a hopeful shot from 20 yards and then Saxby drove a shot into the side netting.

Fawcett caught a cleverly placed dropping ball and then minutes later had to save at feet as Lymington increase pressure.

28 minutes and Mundy shook off the shackles of the centre half to go free. Munday's shot was beaten out. The ball luckily bounced back and Munday laid it into the path of Dyer. A great low shot whipped the net up to make it 2-0.

6 minutes later a good move sparking from Lymington's midfield finished with the ball in the box. We couldn't get a toe to it and th ball finished up in the back of the net from a well struck volley 2-1.

Half Time 2-1

It was even possession at the start of the half with both goal keepers on their toes. 54 minutes though and Gajic won a strong tackle to free up Lovell. Lovell made ground and showed great strength in fending off a couple of tackles. An excellent finish made it one of Lovell's better goals. 3-1.

Lymington responded by upping energy levels and almost benefitted from a right flank cross that was turned goalwards by a glancing header. Fawcett judged it to the n'th degree and made a difficult catch look easy.

Lymington then made a couple of tactical changes. They paid off handsomely as a 30 yarder was unleashed and we could only watch as Fawcett this time was beaten to make the score 3-2.

We were pushed back as Lymington forced us to defend.

Kelly cleared then Oldring headed over our bar. Fawcett's positional senses were at full stretch as we weathered the storm

We counter attacked through Homer and Munday. Munday's run wide took out the centre half and Saxby drifted inside to pick up a good through ball. A shot across the keeper was deflected by the keeper's toe or a corner. Gajic met the corner with a strong header but watched it go wide.

Back came Lymington. Homer stopped a run on their right and then Evans raced across to sweep up a dangerous break in the middle.

78 minutes Gajic made way for Murray. Murray's first involvement came within seconds as he and Homer broke up a right flank break.

80 minutes and we were pinned back as Lymington again pushed on. A cross was palmed out by Fawcett and then Oldring cleared out of the six yard box.

Webb, as industrious as ever worked his socks off in the middle of the park and after winning a fierce tackle released Lovell. We caught Lymington with only a couple of defenders at the back. Lovell tried a shot, the keeper came out and body blocked, the ball spun to Mundy. Lifting the ball over the keeper Munday shot low for the corner of the net. A defender raced in to deflect the ball round the post.

Then followed a harrowing time as Lymington threw everything into attack. Balls into the box were defended in numbers as the game finished with a nailbiting finale.

It was a gritty performance to get the three points so all credit to the team for 'digging in'.

Result 3-2