WYVERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (WEST)
SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST 2016
VERWOOD TOWN RESERVES 5 LYMINGTON TOWN RESERVES 0

On the pitch …

Craig Gerrard … Dan Ryan … Joe Hawkins … George Thomas … Harrison Harding … Mike Snow … Matt Gilham … Matt Jones … Paul Green … Callum Curry … Pat Barnes.

On the bench

Chris Neal … Brandon Whelham … Ben Humby … Sean Dennis… Joe Kimber

Lymington turned up with only 10 men and with a baking heat needed to have a defensive plan.

2 minutes old and Callum Curry forced space just outside the area unleashing a bullet of a shot. The keeper palmed it away. The re bound was cleared high and down their left. Dan Ryan had good feet taking the ball neatly and raced down the line. A good cross and there was Matt Jones to slam a shot unusually on target but straight at the keeper.

It was inevitable that with such pressure applied we would have the ball in the net sooner rather than later. 45 minutes only and Paul Green coasted wide and delivered a low cross into the box. Pat Barnes beat defenders and put the ball past the keeper 1-0.

Lymington re formed and produced their planned good defending, denying goals for Green Curry and Barnes.

10 minutes gone and an excellent piece of interplay between Curry and Barnes left Barnes free with only the keeper to beat. The keeper won.

A minute later Dan Ryan and Matt Gilham worked the right flank finishing with Gilham putting in a head high ball. Green connected but put it high and wide.

A free kick for Lymington woke Gerrard up to palm the ball over the bar for a corner. Snow climbed highest to clear the danger.

25 minutes and a bustling Curry broke through to release Snow on the overlap. Snow’s shot was unstoppable. 2-0.

A feature of the half was the overlapping strengths of Hawkins and Ryan. It pressed Lymington deeper and most of the 45 minutes were played in Lymington’s third.

Half Time 2-0

Lymington’s players looked a bit jaded but all credit to them they re grouped from the kick off defending well and stopping efforts from Jones and Gilham.

Lymington bounced back and on 47 minutes gained a free kick following a Harding uncompromising tackle. Gerrard did well to tip the ball over the bar.

Snow was hunting for a second and on 54 minutes didn’t waste an opportunity when a scramble for the ball in the Lymington box bounced just right. Snow followed in and slammed the ball past line defenders. 3-0.

Thomas and Hawkins worked the flank. Hawkins (known as the marauder) slipped a defender on the edge of the box and tried a shot. It was beaten out. In stormed Jones to volley for goal. We are still looking for the ball.

66 minutes a battling Callum Curry came off to give Brandon Whelham a run. 67 minutes and Dan Ryan swapped with Ben Humby.

The new formation settled and with 73 minutes gone a good cross was just right for Humby to claim the 4th.

Whelham gave a peach of a pass for Gilham to progress into the Lymington area. Out came the keeper to make it a one on one. Gilham’s chip intended to clear the keeper rose no higher than the grass. Score line – static.

Humby tried a shot the keeper stopped on the line and then Harding bustled through to try a shot. Hurn Airport was put on drone alert.

11 minutes left and Whelham was rewarded for a hard work. A gap opened up just outside the area and coasting through Whelham placed the ball outside the keeper’s grasp to make it 5-0.

Lymington’s players were now feeling the strain. Regular treatment was needed for cramp and exhaustion. A water break helped.

Gilham had another chance to get on the score sheet but topped his shot a yard off the line making it easy for the keeper to gather. Whelham went one better and had no one to beat but screwed the ball past the Moors Valley Café.

The game now resembled a friendly training session but again hats off to a Lymington side that never collapsed and trudged off to a very welcome ride home.

Result 5-0.