Match report: Lymington Town FC shock high-flying Newport (IoW) to seal 1-1 Wessex League Division One draw
Lymington Town stretched their unbeaten Wessex League Division One run to four games with a 1-1 draw against high-flying Newport (IoW).
Lymington Town captain Ben Morris gave his side an early lead in front of a bumper 202-strong crowd at the Sports Ground, but Macauley Waterson levelled for the fifth-placed side.
“We’re proud of the team’s effort and determination in our draw against Newport IOW”, said Ash Buckland, the Lymington Town manager. “The players displayed solid teamwork, and it’s clear that their hard work is paying off, as they were disappointed with a draw against a promotion-chasing Newport, which we had lost to 5-1 at the beginning of the season.
“It’s a testament to how far we have come as a team. While a win was our goal, and we believe we could have secured the victory with some of our chances, we will accept coming away with a draw.
“The support at the Sports Ground has been amazing, and we appreciate our fans for their continued support as we look to extend our unbeaten run.”
Lymington Town will face league leaders New Milton Town away from home when they return after Christmas on Saturday at 3pm.
Buckland added: “Our focus now turns to our next game against New Milton Town on the 28th, which we know will be a great challenge due to their very strong squad, a key reason they are currently at the top of our league.
“We know that if we play our game, we can cause any team in this league problems.”
Newport travelled to face Lymington Town for the first time in eight years, and their 48th-minute equaliser extended their unbeaten run to 14 games.
The game started in driving rain and a strong cold wind, and Lymington nearly found themselves a goal down inside the first minute when Joe Craig dragged an effort wide.
The near-miss woke Lymington from their malaise. The hosts exerted a spell of pressure before they took the lead after a floated delivery caught the wind, leaving the Newport defence in disarray as Morris powered a header home at the near post.
The Newport shot-stopper, Leon Pitman, was by far the busier of the two keepers, with Lymington penning the visitors in their half.
After multiple saves from Pitman, Newport finished the half in the ascendancy, with Craig having a goal-bound effort cleared off the line.
Three minutes after the break, Newport captain Watterson fired home the game’s second goal when the ball landed at his feet six yards out.
Lymington Town began to catch Newport on the counter. However, multiple dangerous attacks failed to deliver a goal, with mistakes creeping in at the final stage, and the match finished all square.
Lymington Town: N. Trojanowski, J. Higdon, N. Bullen, C. Taylor, L. Le Moignan, R. Sesay, A. Morris, B. Morris, C. Lopez, M. McAuley, W. Johnson. Subs: K. Kwachukwu, C. Fry, J. Defries, J. Sutherden, J. Buckland.
