Match report: Lymington Town FC boss Ash Buckland praises side after 2-1 Wessex League Division One victory over Romsey Town FC

Lymington Town FC picked up a hard-earned victory after surviving a late scare to move level on points with Romsey Town on Saturday.

The visitors took the lead after just two minutes when Callum Taylor scored with a sublime strike before Callum Zikmund made it 2-0 with 10 minutes left. However, a late penalty for the hosts made it a nervy finale.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the lads after Saturday’s performance”, said Lymington Town manager Ash Buckland. “It was a fantastic team effort from start to finish, with everyone giving their all on the pitch.

“We executed our game plan brilliantly, which we worked on in training throughout the week. The lads showed real determination and played some excellent football.

“The support from the travelling fans, including Nanny Pam, as always, was incredible, and it really made a difference to the lads.”

Buckland added: “Reflecting on the game, we compacted the midfield well, and I thought our defence was solid. It was a great start to the game when Callum Taylor struck with what could be a contender for goal of the season after about two minutes. That early goal gave us belief and something to hold onto and build from.

“Having lads like Luis [Le Moignan] and Lewis [Crozier] back after injury, along with the young Alfie [Roberts] and Richie [Sesay] at the back, was superb.

“The midfield was solid throughout, and it was also a great finish midway through the second half with a well-worked goal, which Callum Zikmund finished brilliantly for his first goal for the club.”

Lymington could not have got off to a better start, with Taylor scoring a sublime goal that is surely a contender for goal of the season before some spectators had even settled down to watch the match.

Zikmund then made it 2-0 with 80 minutes played, giving the team some much-needed breathing room. This allowed the team to pick up the three points despite a late penalty from Craig Bryant.

“We were unlucky not to keep a clean sheet when we conceded what looked like a soft penalty”, concluded Buckland. “Which Romsey converted. As a result, we had to hold on slightly at the end, but the lads stayed strong, and I thought we were well worth the victory and the much-needed win.

“This was a big confidence boost after the heavy loss last week and our struggles to get a run going since Christmas. Hopefully, we can now start picking up more points as we push towards the end of the season.

“Our focus is already on building from this win and keeping the momentum going. We play Totton & Eling next, so we’ll be looking to pick up some more points in what we know will be another challenging game.”

Lymington Town plays host when taking on Totton & Eling on Saturday.

Lymington Town: N. Trojanowski, A. Roberts, R. Sesay, L. Crozier, L. Le Moignan, A. Christie, C. Taylor, B. Morris, J. Lovell, C. Zikmund, C. Lopez. Subs: J. Higdon, J. Defries, B. Gill, E. Duell-Merritt, W. Johnson.