Saturday 5th January 2008

Sydenhams (Wessex) Premier League

Lymington Town   1 V 3  Poole Town

Attendance: Unknown

The start of a very big month for Poole Town saw them travel to Lymington Town - a ground they have failed to win on in their last seven visits. No Luke Whitley or Aaron Skelton at the back saw Yelland start again and Stuart Brown filled in at right wing back as well. Ben Osborne did return to the side which was just as well as Trefor Smith hadn't recovered from his injuries suffered in the Bemerton game last week either.

Both sides attacked from the start and this made for a pretty open game. On 6 minutes Dan Cann made a mistake and slipped and Lymington broke clear. A cross from the right was met with a smart snapshot and Harvell was on his toes to tip the ball over the bar. The resulting corner was met with a completely free header and Harvell had to dive full stretch to push the ball away for another corner. Two very early warning signs for the league leaders.

A minute later however and Poole took the lead. Culliford took a quick throw and Osborne did well to get away down the left. His cross was met by the keeper but he fumbled it and the ball dropped to Steve Smith who had done well not to give up on his run. His touch took the ball onto the post and a defender but Smith managed to get the ball over the line for his second in as many games.

This seemed to settle Poole down as they began to control the game. On 10 minutes a Yelland corner deep to the far post was headed back across goal by Ian Richardson and Culliford fired in a shot which beat the keeper but was cleared off the line by a defender. Dan Cann picked up a yellow card for a challenge a moment later.

On 27 minutes Gary Funnell had a shot deflected for a corner and after he had taken the kick himself the ball dropped out to Stuart Brown on the edge of the box and his left foot volley looked destined for the top left corner only to be headed off the line by a defender.

Disaster for Poole on 37 minutes. A diagonal ball from left to right saw a Lymington player chase after it with Dan Cann. As both got to the ball Cann slid in needlessly and the referee had no hesitation in showing a second yellow card and Cann was sent off. It was the right decision given Cann's position as last man - no complaints.

Down to ten men and suddenly the home side took encouragement and started to make use of the space. An already stretched Poole side now looked pretty makeshift with Brown and Sturgess playing as full backs and Yelland and Ian Richardson in the centre of defence. Lymington put some pressure on the Poole goal and on 42 minutes a long range effort swerved viciously and went just wide of the post. Things were evened up right on half time when the Lymington number 6 received his second yellow card after hauling Ben Osborne to the ground - again - no complaints.

Half time: 0-1.

Both sides started the second half with ten men but it was Lymington who looked the sharper for the first fifteen minutes. Harvell was forced into another good save on 53 minutes from the Lymington number 9 - he really has proved his worth since replacing Max Frampton between the sticks.

Poole doubled their lead on 58 minutes. A pulsating run from Funnell was ended with the midfielder being brought down and it was his freekick which found Andy Culliford at the far post for a trademark Culliford header into the net. A minute later and it was Funnell again surging forward who slid the ball through to Culliford again. This time his shot was palmed away for a corner. Funnell, having an excellent game in midfield, delivered a pinpoint corner to the back post where Ian Richardson rose unmarked to head down into the goal. From looking under pressure at 1-0 suddenly Poole were three up and back in control.

Credit to Lymington they didn't allow their heads to drop and twenty minutes from time they were awarded a penalty after a foul in the Poole box. A cool finish reduced the deficit to two goals.

On 81 minutes Ben Osborne and Steve Smith who had both worked really hard all afternoon were rested and Shane Ayres came on together with a welcome return for Taffy Richardson. A minute after the substitutions and Ayres passed to Taffy and his cross drifted towards goal and had to be tipped over for a corner. Two minutes later Ayres raced across the pitch to lunge into a tackle which brought him a yellow card but he showed what talent he has with an unbelievable run a minute later. He picked the ball up in his own half and dribbled past four or five Lymington players, at pace, before sliding the ball through to set Dave Sturgess away. As the keeper came out Sturgess squared to Taffy Richardson but he could only shoot wide under pressure from a defender.

Lymington hit back on 88 minutes when a good move saw a cross and header just over the bar. And deep into injury time Poole broke with men over and after the ball broke to Funnell on the penalty spot he could only hook the ball over with an empty goal beckoning.

With Wimborne and Totton sharing the spoils at Testwood Park and with Totton visiting Tatnam next Saturday, this was a vital three points for the Dolphins. A hard working performance.

Poole: Harvell, I. Richardson, Yelland, Funnell, Brown, Sturgess, C. Smith, Culliford, Cann, Osborne (Ayres), S. Smith (S. Richardson)

Tuesday 1st September 2007

Sydenhams (Wessex) Premier League

Poole Town   7 V 0  Lymington Town

Attendance: 154

Aaron Skelton's injury picked up on Saturday forced Tom Killick into a change for this home encounter against Lymington Town. Gary Funnell started the game with Taffy Richardson dropping back into the defence. Apart from that it was 'same again' from Poole who were looking to keep their impressive league form going. An excellent crowd of 154 for a midweek game also turned up to see the game.

It was another blistering start by Poole, as it has been all season, and they took the lead on just five minutes. A high ball into the Lymington box saw the keeper jump but fumble the ball. With Benssaouda and Cannie closing in a visiting defender simply waited for the ball to bounce before kicking it straight into his own net. A soft goal to gift the league leaders and Poole never looked back from that point on.

On 13 minutes Dan Cann produced yet another high ball into the box. Benssaouda produced such a sublime touch to kill the ball stone dead that the defender marking him was still looking skywards for the ball as Karim's fierce volley was pushed round the post by the keeper - the first of many fine saves on the night. Another own goal looked likely a few minutes later when a Cann freekick was flicked on and a defender looped a header over his keeper only to see the ball drop just over the bar. From the resulting corner, however, Cann's kick was flicked on and Culliford was on hand to head home his second goal in as many games.

Poole controlled almost total possession and happily sprayed the ball from one wing to another in search of the next opening. Any rare Lymington attack was ably dealt with by the impressive Whitely and both Richardsons. Taffy, again, defies belief for his age. His first half performance in particular was nothing short of fantastic. Playing today in defence you could forgive him the opportunity of 'taking it easy' and saving himself for the next game. But, as usual, he covered every blade of grass and made tackle after tackle to keep possession for the Dolphins. He came up for every corner and whilst others would jog back into position afterwards, Taffy could be seen sprinting at full pelt for over 60 yards in order to face the resulting goalkick or counter. Unbelievable.

On 41 minutes Chris Smith passed to Karim Benssaouda and after his usual twist and turn he found the space to fire in another good shot and again the keeper did well to turn it round the post for a corner. It's fair to say that Lymington simply had no answer for Poole and spent the entire game chasing shadows all over the pitch. This resulted in freekick after freekick being given to Poole as challenges were nearly always late. It was not deliberate but the foul count certainly racked up in the first half. In particular the Lymington number 5 must have been pulled up for fouls on at least a dozen occasions. The referee felt no need to even talk to him despite the repeat offences but as soon as Poole's Dan Cann kicked a ball away and, later in the game, Ian Richardson committed his first foul of the game, both were given yellow cards. Lymington picked up no yellow card in the entire game?

Half time: 2-0

Just like the Brading game on Saturday, Poole added to their tally within sixty seconds of the restart. Funnell found himself running into the box and after his shot was blocked Benssaouda was on hand to control the ball and then bury it into the roof of the net from close range. Benssaouda grabbed his sixth goal in three games just six minutes later. A long throw into the box bounced and Benssaouda produced a spectacular overhead kick into the far corner of the net - a quality goal which leaves him just four short of a hundred goals for Poole.

4-0 up and Killick began to ring the changes. Firstly Steve Smith replaced Stuart Cannie and a few minutes later Sean Hogan came on for Trefor Smith. On 60 minutes Dan Cann showed grit and determination as he chased a defender down in the corner. His perseverance paid off and the blocked the clearance and his cross eventually came back into the box where substitute Steve Smith hammered the ball home.

On 67 minutes Andy Culliford produced a great flick to Funnell in the middle of the park. Funnell's ball sent Steve Smith clear of the defence and as the keeper came out the youngster picked his spot and slotted the ball home.

Stuart Brown replaced Benssaouda soon after but there was no slackening in the tempo of the game from Poole. Previous Poole sides would be taking their foot off the pedal at this point but this side has certainly got a 'killer' mentality. The pressure on Lymington remained relentless for ninety minutes. The Poole attitude summed up by Funnell as during stoppage time, and seven up, he could be heard literally screaming at keeper Max Frampton to 'Hurry up!" with his clearance!

For the record Ian Richardson thumped home number seven on 71 minutes and there were numerous other chances too. Funnell had a right foot pile-driver beat the keeper but come back off the post and there were other shots from Culliford, Steve Smith and Brown. Given that the keeper made four or five top class saves on the night the score could have been a whole lot bigger.

Poole: Frampton, Whitley, I. Richardson, Funnell, Cann, C. Smith, Culliford, T. Smith (Hogan), S. Richardson, Benssaouda (Brown), Cannie (S. Smith)

Tuesday 19th September 2006

Sydenhams (Wessex) Premier League

Lymington Town   3 V 0  Poole Town

Attendance: 119

Well, if you know what to expect when you travel to Fareham Town (see previous match report) you also know what to expect when you visit Lymington Town in the New Forest............ defeat! Poole's record has been abysmal at Lymington since we started going there some six years ago managing just two draws and the rest defeats. So it was to prove yet again as in form Poole (15 goals in last 3 games) were roundly beaten off the park by three goals to nil.

With no Aaron Skelton, Steve Strong or Mark Hankey there was room in the starting eleven for Steve Gilbert, Carl Chivers and a first start for Chris Smith.

The first half was a fairly dour affair although Poole did enjoy more of the possession. Chances were few and far between for both sides - the first effort was a long range effort from Gary Funnell on 14 minutes which went over the bar. On 35 minutes it was Funnell again - this time his freekick from wide on the right was fumbled by the home keeper and the ball dropped just wide of the post and went for a corner.

Against the run of play Lymington took the lead on 41 minutes. The goal came from nowhere - the ball dropped outside of the area but a superb left foot volley dipped over Frampton and found it's way into the right hand corner of the net - it was a great strike.

Half time: 1-0.

Lymington certainly looked as if the goal had given them extra confidence and they started the second half well. On 49 minutes they got a freekick just outside the Poole box on the right. Another stunning finish followed as the skipper drilled the ball with his left foot straight into the top right corner. Again Frampton had no chance. Uncharacteristically it really did look like the Poole heads went down at this stage and there was a definite resigned feeling to the outcome of the game. Whilst Lymington are not particularly special in any one area and are not even that great to watch there is no doubt that they certainly know how to play as a team and they simply proceeded to break down everything that Poole attempted to do. And did it well!

Poole's biggest chance to get back in the game came on 59 minutes. Carl Chivers did well and after finding some space he squared the ball to an unmarked Benssaouda but his shot sailed harmlessly over the bar from just a few yards out. Seven minutes later and it was game over as Benssaouda lost the ball on the halfway line and Lymington promptly broke up the field, rounded Frampton and tucked away their third of the night.

Fawzi Saadi came on as substitute after being out injured since the opening day and James Guetlin (7 appearances for Poole in 2003/04) also came on with Richard Glenister towards the end. It made little difference and Poole suffered their second league defeat of the season. A disappointing result and performance but these always seem to come along every once in a while (and always at Lymington!).

Poole: Frampton, Whitley, Jordan, Gilbert (Guetlin), Sturgess (Glenister), Hogan, C. Smith (Saadi), T. Smith, Funnell, Chivers, Benssaouda

Monday 2nd January 2006

League - Lymington Town   4 V 2  Poole Town

Attendance: 105

Poole Town's new year got off to the worst possible start as their wretched run of results against Lymington Town continued - now 7 games against them without a win. However, unlike previous games this was one that the Dolphins simply did not deserve to lose. 4-2 sounds as though Poole were thumped but nothing could be further from the truth - for huge periods of this game Poole were by far the better team and yet again a combination of bad finishing and bad luck conspired to see Poole return with nothing.

Lymington created the first chance on 7 minutes when sloppy Poole defending allowed the home side to shoot but the effort went tamely past the post. On 13 minutes a Funnell corner was met by a towering Cherrett header but the ball went just over the bar.

On 19 minutes Lymington took the lead after a scrappy period of play. The first real good passing move by the home side saw the ball drop in the box and a right foot shot was tucked away. The referee went slightly mad after this booking three Poole players (Cherrett, Glenister and Brown) in successive minutes.

Poole now took charge of the match and really put huge pressure on the Lymington defence. On 28 minutes Funnell crossed the ball into the box and a Lymington player clearly controlled the ball with his arm - no penalty. The ball dropped to Harris in the box and his left foot shot beat the keeper but hit the post and rolled away to safety. Two minutes later and Phillips nodded on a great ball but Glenister dragged his shot wide of the left hand post.

On 37 minutes a Funnell corner was cleared back out to Funnell on the touchline. He cut in and a fierce shot left the keeper for dead but again the ball cannoned back off the post to deny a deserved equaliser. The follow- up shot was also tipped over the bar by the keeper.
Finally on 40 minutes Poole got the goal - a great Stuart Brown cross from the right was met by Glenister and his header looped over the keeper into the far corner of the net.

Two minutes after that and Taffy Richardson raced clear but his shot was pushed away for the corner when a goal looked certain. On the stroke of half time Harris fought his way through a crowd of players, his shot was saved and the rebound hit Harris again but bounced just wide of the post. Half time: 1-1 and no-one could have complained if Poole had been four or five up.

Poole started the second half in exactly the same fashion, working hard and creating good chances. On 49 minutes a good move ended when Brown volleyed just over the bar. On 56 minutes a great ball over the defence saw Glenister race away for a one on one with the keeper. His first touch however let him down and the ball was cleared.

On 58 minutes Poole took the expected lead when Funnell picked up the ball on the left edge of the box and he cracked a superb swerving shot inside the near post - remarkably his first goal since 8th October - nearly three months ago. At this point it really looked like it was just a question of how many Poole were going to get and even Lymington supporters were mumbling that they deserved to be behind. However, the last 25 minutes proved to be a nightmare for Poole as all their good work was undone. After a series of crosses on 65 minutes the ball was knocked in at the far post to make the game level and with just ten minutes left a cross into the box saw the Poole keeper rooted to the spot and a simple glancing header put the home side back in front.

The game looked all up for Poole but on 92 minutes substitute Chivers took on the last defender, beat him for pace and raced in on goal. The Lymington Number 4 deliberately tripped him up and the referee awarded the penalty with no hesitation. How the defender escaped even a booking when he should have been sent off is quite unbelievable. Leigh Phillips stepped up to take the penalty (not Funnell?) and he hammered the ball straight at the keeper who made a good save to clear the ball. To compound Poole's misery Lymington broke down the other end and made it 4-2.

An entertaining game and a pretty good performance from the Poole boys - it's just the scoreline which spoilt the day!

Poole: Mitchener, Spalding, Cherrett (Woolfenden), Whitley, White, Harris, Funnell, Richardson, S. Brown, Phillips, Glenister (Chivers)

Monday 29th August 2005

League - Poole Town   1 V 2  Lymington Town

Attendance: 202

Poole Town took on bogey side Lymington Town on Bank Holiday Monday and slipped to a third consecutive defeat - something which hasn't happened since September 2000. New signings Ian Richardson and Steve Strong came into the starting line-up for Cherrett (out with knee ligament damage - we wish him well) and the injured Darren Crook (back). Darren Reeks also started with Matty White on the bench.

Having done the double over Poole last season and having already got a creditable 0-0 draw at Moneyfields this season (with ten men) no-one was in any doubt as to how tough a match this would be.

Glenister had Poole's first chance of the night on 2 minutes when he was sent clear down the right. Perhaps he could have fired in a shot but instead he pulled the ball back and tried to cross it but it all came to nothing. The next thirty minutes saw a fairly scrappy midfield battle with neither side creating any decent chance on goal. The superb (and Poole tormentor for several seasons now!) Kevin James looked quick and skilful as usual and he was causing the Poole defence problems.

On 30 minutes the visitors took the lead. A break down the left saw a cross into the box and John Bailey came in to fire home a fairly easy goal. Five minutes later and Hounsell produced a great cross but Phillips's header was well saved by the keeper. A corner then saw Taffy Richardson get up well but his header went wide of the post. Half time: 0-1.

Little changed in the second half as Poole struggled to get the ball down and play their passing game. Woolfenden came on for a hobbling Darren Reeks (Woolfenden's 50th appearance for Poole) and Matty White came on for Strong. On 75 minutes Lymington doubled their lead. A poor clearance was steered back into the path of the Lymington striker and he took one touch before drilling the ball past Spillane.

Within two minutes Poole had pulled a goal back. A freekick dropped in the box and in a clutch of players, Leigh Phillips stuck out a foot and stabbed the ball home. In truth though Poole really didn't look like getting an equaliser. The final chance came in injury time when a Woolfenden cross was met by Phillips but his header bounced just wide of the right hand post. 

Poole: Spillane, Whitley, Reeks (Woolfenden), I. Richardson, S. Richardson, Spalding, Strong (White), Funnell, Hounsell, Glenister (Chivers), Phillips

Saturday 13th November 2004

League - Lymington Town   2 V 0  Poole Town

Attendance: 162

With Carl Chivers dropping down to the bench, Leigh Cornick moved back up from the midfield to partner Aaron Turner up front. With Cherrett starting at the back this allowed Taffy Richardson to push up into midfield as well.

Unfortunately, on a ground which has yielded a dreadful run of results for Poole Town today was no different and the gap to Lymington widened to a point where it might now be difficult to catch them.

Poole started brightly and it looked like they might take the lead in the first minute. A trademark Funnell freekick from outside the box was superbly tipped away for a corner. This was the first sign that the home keeper was going to have a good day. And he did - he was absolutely superb, stopping everything and claiming every cross with supreme handling and confidence.

On 18 minutes Lymington fashioned their first chance when a shot from just inside the box was well saved by Scrivens low to his left. Another soft goal was to prove the difference between the sides on the day however and this came on 20 minutes. A huge kick from the Lymington keeper was left by two defenders and as the ball bounced the home striker nipped through to coolly lob the ball over Scrivens into an empty net.

Poole's chances were increased on 42 minutes when a Lymington player was given a straight red card for flicking out a leg at a Poole player. This seemed to be a harsh decision but was in keeping with the rest of the game. The referee was very poor, running around in his own little world and getting absolutely everything wrong. Luckily he got it all wrong for both sides so it probably evened itself out over the course of the game!! Half time: 1-0.

Despite the man advantage Poole were unable to capitalise in the second half. In fairness to Lymington they were well organised and worked extremely hard for each other and they deserved the win - no arguments.
Poole piled on the pressure as the half wore on and it really did look like an equaliser would come. On 71 minutes some good Poole passing saw the ball played into Turner in the box. He quickly spun and his volley beat the keeper but deflected off the bar for a goalkick. Turner again had a shot tipped round the post five minutes later as the Dolphins sought an equaliser.

As so often happens Poole were caught short at the back and with practically the last move of the game Lymington broke up field and the No. 10 raced away to poke home the second goal.

Poole: Scrivens, Spalding, Wood (Reeks), Cherrett, Richardson, Funnell, Woolfenden (Chivers), White, Brown, Cornick, Turner

Monday 30th August 2004

League - Poole Town   0 V 1  Lymington Town

Attendance: 178

Poole Town slipped to their first defeat of the season against bogey side Lymington Town at Tatnam. Having failed to beat their local rivals in their previous three attempts the Dolphins failed to score at home for the first time since October 2003. With Taffy Richardson unable to change shifts and no Matty White, Gary Fletcher and Lee Manning came back into the starting line-up.

Poole started brightly and things could have been so different as early as the fifth minute. Matt Welsh delivered a good cross from the right and after controlling the ball Leigh Cornick fired a shot wide of the keeper only to see the ball come back off the post to safety. On 12 minutes a headed clearance from James Wood fell to Cornick just outside of the box. Cornick found Lee Manning in the area but his shot was wide of the target.

Lymington began to come more into the game and on 26 minutes a certain goal was avoided when the excellent Ollie Cherrett made a superb last ditch tackle with the forward clean through. Two minutes later and Cornick produced a fantastic overhead kick which flashed past the post after a good cross from young Carl Chivers on the left.

Chances were now falling to both sides and some good passing by Lymington saw the ball drop to the right back and his shot with the outside of his right foot only narrowly went past the far post. A minute later and the visitors scored the only goal of the game. A shot was badly mis-hit and as the ball careered across the box another Lymington player ran in slot the ball home. Spillane needed to pull off a fine save just before the break to keep the deficit down to one. Half-time: 0-1.

The Dolphins lost all shape in the second half and the two strikers were left isolated as ball after ball was thumped downfield from the back. Another great tackle from Cherrett on 57 minutes prevented another likely goal and although Killick made three substitutions the end result remained the same. Certainly the forward line looked more potent with Lee Manning pushed up front and Poole's final chance fell to him. Cherrett passed the ball into Manning but his shot caught the trailing leg of the diving keeper and the ball bounced away just wide of the post.

A disappointing performance and result which, if different, could have seen Poole go top of the league.

Poole: Spillane, Cherrett, Woodward, Welsh, Wood (P. Manning), Funnell, Fletcher, Reeks (A. Morris), L. Manning, Cornick, Chivers (G. Morris)

Saturday 7th February 2004

League - Poole Town   2 V 2  Lymington Town

Attendance: 118

Manager Paul Morrell was able to field the same starting eleven as the previous two games - something Poole supporters have not seen for a couple of years! With both Ryan Woolfenden and Matthew Hayfield now fit they took their places on the bench.

With Lymington already having beaten Poole this season and their deserved position in the top six this was always going to be a close tight affair. The first half proved to be a fairly dour 45 minutes with few chances for either side in blustery conditions. The first chance fell to Poole after 25 minutes when Benssaouda received a flick on from Cornick. The Frenchman cut in from wide on the left and bent his shot wide of the far post.

Towards the end of the half things livened up a bit. Paul Manning found Cornick who beat his man with ease. His right footed cross was dropped by the keeper but Benssaouda couldn't quite nip in finish it off. A minute later and Benssaouda produced more trickery to beat a defender but his 25 yard shot was well saved by the Lymington keeper. On 44 minutes a Woodward freekick from the right found Lee Manning at the far post but again the keeper came to the rescue tipping the ball away for a corner. Half-time: 0-0.

Both teams seemed to up their game in the second half but it was Poole who created the better chances. Not taking them though would prove costly by the end of the game. On 47 minutes Cornick crossed from the left but Paul Manning scuffed his shot when well placed. Matthew Hayfield came on for a disappointing Matty White on 58 minutes and soon the Dolphins were in front. On 67 minutes Carl Woodward delivered an exquisite cross from the left and Benssaouda nipped in at the far post to volley the ball home. There was an obvious increase in confidence at this point and when Jackson replaced Reeks the second goal soon followed. With just 15 minutes left Jackson flicked the ball superbly over the Lymington defence. Benssaouda timed his run to perfection, sprinted away and his 50th goal for the club in just 41 games never looked in doubt as he stroked the ball under the keeper into the net.

With 10 minutes remaining Benssaouda should have claimed his hat-trick. Cornick flicked the ball on and Benssaouda volleyed over from 20 yards when he could have gone on to score from closer range. Surely with minutes remaining and two up it wouldn't matter. Wrong! With five minutes left a long range effort cannoned back off the Poole bar and as Spillane was diving the ball hit him on the back and went in.
Back came Poole and within a minute the two goal lead should have been restored - Ricky Muir (on for Cornick) headed straight at the keeper after a cross from Benssaouda.

In fairness to Lymington they never gave up on the game and there was almost a sense of inevitability when they equalised with two minutes left. A well worked passing move down the field eventually saw a cross from the right and when the otherwise solid Poole defence failed to clear the ball a Lymington player was on hand to drill the ball home. Despite the Lymington centre back being sent off on 90 minutes it was Poole who held on in the dying minutes and a draw was probably a fair result.

With both teams cancelling themselves out for huge parts of the game it was still extremely disappointing to not win after being two goals up with just five minutes remaining. Eyes now turn to Wednesday night when Poole take on Horndean at Tatnam for a place in the Trophyman Cup semi finals.

Poole: Spillane, Gater, Wood, Wright, Reeks (Jackson), P. Manning, Woodward, White (Hayfield), Benssaouda, Cornick (Muir), L. Manning

Tuesday 7th October 2003

League - Lymington Town 2 V 1  Poole Town

Attendance: 121

From this point on Poole lost discipline across the park and all cohesion and passing from the first half went out the window. On 59 minutes a shot from Miles looped high into the air and bounced down on top of the bar before going behind for a goal kick but this was a half chance at best. Paul Morrell made changes as the half wore on but this only led to Poole losing shape. Suddenly Gater was on the left of defence with Mooney on the right and Evans moved up into midfield. None of it worked however and Poole looked poor as the time ticked away. On 80 minutes a Muir shot was dropped by the Lymington keeper yet a follow up shot somehow managed to go wide with the goal beckoning and this summed up the night for the Dolphins. On 85 minutes another total cock-up in defence gave Lymington the softest of goals and this error was made harder to bear when the hard working Cornick managed to volley home a shot on 93 minutes which only served as a consolation.

Poole: Potter, Gater, Evans, Mooney, P. Manning (Muir), Purkiss (Krunic), Woodward, L. Manning, Reeks (Homer), Cornick, MIles

Tuesday 28th January 2003

League - Lymington Town 2 V 2  Poole Town

Attendance: 67

Darren Elmes and Darren Mooney returned to the side for the tricky game at Lymington but Gary Fletcher failed a fitness test just prior to kick-off. Max Crowe also made a welcome return to right wing back and this allowed Garry Morris to push into midfield.

The match started fairly evenly with neither side exerting any worthwhile pressure in the opening minutes. The first decent chance came on 8 minutes when Benssaouda and Holland combined to deliver the ball to Morris but his shot was dragged wide of the left hand post. On 20 minutes Poole took the lead after a huge goal mouth scramble. Shots flew in one after the other before the Lymington No. 2 handled on the line. Despite Elmes thumping in the rebound the referee awarded a penalty and sent off the offending player. Benssaouda scored from the spot. Poole took control of the first half from this point but failed to add to their tally. Half-time: 0-1.

The second half proved to be very disappointing for Poole supporters. Jamie Holland picked up a knock and was replaced by Milan Parodi on 60 minutes. Five minutes later and Lymington were level. A corner from the right was dropped by keeper Elliot and the ball rolled into the net. Against ten men Poole continued to underachieve and the confidence in Lymington grew as the half progressed. On 90 minutes it looked all up for the Dolphins as Neal Spalding pulled a home player down in the box and Lymington took the lead from the spot. However, the referee inexplicably played a total of 8 minutes of injury time (from where?) and Poole grabbed an undeserved equaliser in the 97th minute when Gary Morris hooked a Benssaouda corner past a gaggle of players into the net. The final whistle was met by consternation from the Lymington bench and supporters and nobody can really blame them. They had battled really well with ten men and deserved the three points. Poole on the other hand left the field feeling lucky to have secured a single point. Disappointing.

Poole: Elliot, Woodward, Crowe, Spalding, Wright, Mundee, G. Morris, D. Mooney, Elmes, Holland (Parodi), Benssaouda
Unused subs: Roberts, M. Morris

Saturday 16th November 2002

League - Poole Town 3 V 1 Lymington Town

Attendance: 109

With yet another home league fixture Poole Town maintained their recent good form with a comfortable victory against local rivals Lymington Town. Gary Fletcher returned to the side with Richie Atherton making way.

On 8 minutes Jamie Holland produced the first chance of the game when his fine turn and snapshot was saved low down to the keeper's right. Ten minutes later Poole earnt a corner on the right and despite Carl Woodward's kick bending into the far corner of the net the referee blew for a foul in the box and Poole were awarded a penalty. Karim Benssaouda made no mistake from the spot to put the Dolphins a goal up.

Despite controlling the game Lymington pulled level on 35 minutes. Ross Elliot needlessly dived at the feet of an advancing striker and the referee correctly awarded a second penalty of the afternoon. 1-1. Poole hit back straight from the kick-off and within a minute they were deservedly back in front. Matt Morris brilliantly stole the ball off of a Lymington player in midfield and fed the ball to Holland. After exchanging passes with Benssaouda on the edge of the box Holland drilled his right foot shot beyond the keeper into the left hand corner of the net. Half-time: 2-1.

Poole worked hard in the second half but Lymington dug in well and chances were few and far between. Finally on 82 minutes Poole wrapped up the points when a Woodward corner was met by Benssaouda who rose majestically to head the ball firmly past the keeper, in off the post.

Poole: Elliot, Woodward, A. Neville (G. Morris), Wright, Spalding, Fletcher, D. Mooney, M. Morris, Mundee, Holland (Hurst), Benssaouda

Saturday 12th January 2002

League - Poole Town 2 V 1 Lymington Town

Attendance: 164

Taku Omoto returned to the side after his Christmas break in Japan and Mike McDonnell took his place on the bench next to Martin Jones and Tony Avery.

In a dire first half neither side looked capable of creating anything and the game descended into a midfield battle. The brightest spot came on 20 minutes when Jamie Holland latched onto a superb throughball from Omoto but his shot flew past the keeper and rebounded off the foot of the post to safety. Half-Time: 0-0.

Although the quality of football failed to improve in the second half at least there were some incidents of note to keep the supporters entertained. On 49 minutes Chris Pratt caught a Lymington player in the area and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Unlike Tuesday night Paul Spillane could do nothing as Lymington took the lead from the penalty spot. On 53 minutes Poole eventually fashioned another chance. Matty Lovell produced a great driving run into the Lymington half and eventually set up Darren Elmes who could only tamely volley over the bar from close range. A minute later and Holland was sent off for a bad foul and retaliation - not the first time that has happened! It was only when McDonnell replaced Omoto that Poole began to look remotely dangerous up front. On 63 minutes Poole eventually equalised; Neal Spalding delivered a tremendous ball spreading the play wide to Wardle. Wardle sent McDonnell clear with a good throughball and the substitute rifled the ball past the keeper into the corner. If the supporters expected Poole to now step up a gear they were to be sorely disappointed. With the match seemingly heading for a draw McDonnell was adjudged to have been brought down in the area and Martin Jones (on for Matty Lovell) stepped up to score from the penalty spot in the very last minute.

Three points but yet another unconvincing performance from the Dolphins. The result was a little hard on Lymington who worked hard all afternoon and perhaps for the first time this season Poole can consider themselves fortunate to get a win they barely deserved. A performance like this at top of the table East Cowes on Tuesday night could well see a repeat of the 8-1 demolition there last season but Poole's away form has been better than their home form of late so a good match is in prospect. Defeat on Tuesday would leave Poole 10 points behind their title rivals - somehow they need to break East Cowes 18 match unbeaten league record...........

Poole: Spillane, Pratt, Gater, Spalding, Wardle (Avery), Lovell (Jones), Bailey-Pearce, White, Holland, Elmes, Omoto (McDonnell)

Saturday 1st December 2001

League - Lymington Town 2 V 1 Poole Town

Attendance: 131

Poole Town travelled to neighbours Lymington Town in the Hampshire League looking to secure the three points which would send them back to the top of the league. On a quite unbelievable afternoon the trip proved a fruitless one for all concerned with The Dolphins.

In a dire first half there was absolutely nothing worthy of note! Neither side fashioned any chances at all and the whole game seemed (literally) bogged down in the middle of the park. Jamie Holland, having a rare poor game, got himself booked on 20 minutes after reacting to being brought down and coach Dave Hukin was sent from the dug-out for comments made. Half-Time: 0-0.

Manager Peter Moore and Dave Hukin allowed the players only a couple of minutes in the dressing room at half time before hauling them out on to the pitch for an impromptu training session. If the first half lacked incident then the second half certainly made up for it, but for all the wrong reasons. Poole initially started the half well when a great cross from Holland on the right was narrowly headed over by Darren Elmes. On 57 minutes Andy Gater kicked out at a Lymington player by the corner flag. The referee allowed the game to go on only to suddenly decide that it should be stopped. After consultation with the linesman the ref proceeded to book Andy Culliford by mistake!! With players and supporters from both sides pointing out that the wrong player had been booked the referee carried on regardless.

A minute later Lymington earnt themselves a free kick on the edge of the Poole penalty area and the resulting shot was hit sweetly into the top left corner to give the home side the lead. Four minutes later and Lymington broke clear again but the striker ballooned the ball over the bar when one on one with keeper Colin Randall. Gary Fletcher and Taku Omoto replaced Matt White and Jamie Holland respectively but still Poole looked incapable of breaking down a determined home defence. On 75 minutes Poole received a freekick by the Lymington corner flag. Suddenly the linesman flagged and after consultation with the referee Paul Maloney received a straight red card and was sent off.

On 82 minutes Omoto was adjudged to have been brought down in the Lymington box (and in all honesty this looked like yet another poor decision) and having picked himself up, despatched the spot kick to bring the game level. A minute later and another Lymington freekick cannoned back off the post before being scrambled clear. Suddenly the linesman was flagging again (yes, the same one) and after discussions with the ref Andy Gater was given a straight red card and Poole were reduced to nine men. In the dying seconds both Chris Pratt and Matty Lovell(?) were booked for comments to the referee (no difference between those and the two red card offences??) and to complete matters the ref then gave a penalty to Lymington in the last minute for a foul (which most certainly was not) by keeper Randall. This after the ref had awarded a corner which was plainly a goal kick! Needless to say Lymington scored from the spot and that finished the game.

This was a poor performance by Poole and although they certainly didn't deserve to win the game they also did not deserve to lose. The officials however dominated the match in an arrogant display of poor decision making and downright stupidity. The refereeing at this level is, at best, poor but the officials today were disgraceful. Throws were awarded the wrong way, corners given instead of goal kicks, goal kicks given instead of corners, two incorrect penalty decisions and approximately 10 cards shown when there was not a single bad foul in the game. Rumour has it that an assessor was at the game to judge the officials' performance. The only hope is that appropriate action will be taken and idiots like these will not be allowed to run around a pitch for very much longer.

Poole: Randall, Gater, Pratt, Lovell, Culliford, Maloney, White (Fletcher), Bailey-Pearce, Holland (Omoto), Elmes

Saturday 6th January 2001

League - Poole Town 2 V 0 Lymington Town

Attendance: 118

Poole Town started the new year as they finished the last - winning comfortably to make it 6 wins on the spin and extending their unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions.

With Andy Gater out suspended, Neil Wardle came into the back three whilst Paul Maloney replaced Simon Lynn on the left side. Andy Culliford also made a welcome return. The game started brightly enough and the Dolphins were in front after just six minutes. Danny Adams sent Richard Glenister clear and his run of scoring in every game continued as he coolly slotted the ball past the advancing keeper. 1-0. The game became scrappy as the half went on and although Poole controlled the game, the flowing football of the last few weeks was absent today. The referee also made poor decision after poor decision, booking a total of five players in a game where there was not one bad tackle. A Danny Adams turn and snap shot over the bar on 40 minutes was the only other notable chance. Half-Time: 1-0.

The second half became another dogged midfield battle and eventually manager Pete Moore replaced Adams, Glenister and Fletcher with Wall, Manning and Flanz respectively. The substitution paid off in the second minute of injury time as Kieron Wall pounced in the box to slam home his 4th of the season.

Not a vintage performance from Poole but enough to secure a further three points. With another clean sheet it was nice to see the boys grind out a result when not playing to their potential. Back into fourth place and with other teams not in league action (Vospers - when are you going to start playing??), Poole continue to head towards the top of the table and a good sized crowd of 118 went home happy.

Team: Stockley, Wardle, Pratt, Jones, Mooney, Maloney, Culliford, Holland, Fletcher (Flanz), Adams (Wall), Glenister (Manning)

Saturday 4th November 2000

League - Lymington Town 1 V 1 Poole Town

Attendance: 97

Two weeks on and it was a complete feeling of deja vu for the Poole supporters as, again, they watched The Dolphins completely dominate a game only to be denied by an injury time equaliser. In a changed strip of blue and yellow striped Poole took to the field with Kieron Wall back in the side, partnering Chris Miller up front with Jamie Holland suspended.
The Dolphins line-up also contained new signing Danny Holmes from Andover. Holmes, also of Farnborough Town, was expected to sign for Wimborne Town a couple of weeks ago but Poole were able to nip in to snap him up - much to the annoyance of Wimborne manager Alex Pike!!

Once again Poole started brightly and it was evident that Lymington were going to defend in depth without looking to cause much trouble to the Poole defence. On 22 minutes a Simon Flanz corner was headed against the underside of the bar and Lymington were able to scramble the ball away from the ensuing melee. Poole forced many corners during the first half but all ended fruitless. Half-Time: 0-0.

Poole stepped up a gear in the second half and after just two minutes of the restart Flanz flashed a volley just over the bar. On 52 minutes Chris Pratt (who had a tremendous game for Poole) delivered a great cross from the left and Danny Holmes headed just wide. As the pressure mounted on the Lymington goal Poole eventually got their deserved lead on 80 minutes when another corner fell to Kieron Wall who made no mistake from close range. On 86 minutes another Fletcher corner saw Martin Jones head past the post and the points seemed secure. However, the luck deserted the Dolphins again when, on 91 minutes, Lymington got a free-kick on the edge of the box. A superb strike saw the ball cannon in off the post giving keeper Stockley no chance.

Despite sounding like a cracked record it is frustrating to see Poole drop another two points in the league. All the players gave 100% and Danny Holmes impressed on his debut. It was also a welcome return for Kieron Wall - a class forward who hopefully will commit himself to the club for the rest of the season.

Team: Stockley, Bryant (Wardle), Pratt, Gater,