Match report: Wessex League Division One league leaders New Milton Town FC lose 4-1 to Romsey Town FC
New Milton Town tasted defeat in the league for the first time since the end of August in a 4-1 away loss to Romsey Town on Saturday, but the league leaders still control their own destiny.
The league leaders have often looked imperious while stringing together a remarkable 22-match league unbeaten run, but Romsey’s four second-half goals saw them take all three points, writes Jamie Tarrant.
Following the defeat, New Milton Town manager Matt Maybury said: “We can’t have any complaints about the result. The game changed when we went down to ten, and from then on, Romsey was a class above us.
“You can go on about players missing, the pitch, and this and that, but the red card and individual errors cost us, and Romsey more than deserved to win the game.
“If somebody told us we’d lose one game in six months, we’d have taken that, so we just have to regroup at training this week and go again on Saturday with a big reaction.”
Toby Bailey gave the Brickmakers the lead in the second minute as he looped a header over Romsey Town goalkeeper Miles Bartram at the back post. It would be the last effort at goal to trouble the home goalkeeper throughout the game.
Both teams struggled to make any possession count in the first half. With continuous downpours, the pitch became challenging to play on. The home side, however, found the playing conditions slightly easier but could not get the final ball right despite stringing some good moves together.
New Milton’s goalscorer, Bailey, earned a straight red ten minutes after the restart to the confusion of both the home and away fans. The baffling decision completely changed the outlook of the game.
Romsey equalised almost immediately with a curling effort into the near post from outside the box from Sa-Sean Lutumba.
Within minutes, the home side took the lead. Maciej Marcinkowski left with a simple sidefooted finish after a miscommunication between keeper Ollie Bull and Cam Smith.
The Brickmakers struggled to create a chance at goal with reduced numbers, and late goals from Keegan Kelly and Josh Bowerman completed the scoring with a penalty shout for a challenge on New Milton stalwart Ash Booker sandwiched in between being waved away.
Matt Maybury’s side now looks for a reaction when they host AFC Aldermaston at the M.A. Hart next Saturday afternoon in the club’s first home game since February 1st.
New Milton Town: O. Bull, E. Pearce-Eavis, J. Foden, C. Smith, J. Kinge-Phillips, J. Broad, T. Bailey, B. Stone, D. Bartlett, N. McCarthy-Gardiner, B. Snelling. Subs: O. Mayo, T. Colmer, H. Thornton, A. Booker, J. Kerney.
