GULLS DENY LYM DREAM
Minnows mauled by seven-goal big guns
RUTHLESS Torquay United put Wessex League Lymington Town to the sword.
The BBC sent the live cameras hoping to capture an FA Cup shock, but the National League South Gulls had no intention of that happening.
Had it not been for Lymo keeper Nic Jones making a series of top saves, the score could have been even bigger.
But it was still a proud day for the Step 5 club as they went up against a former Football League club in their groove.
“It was obviously difficult circumstances playing a fulltime team – they were very quick, very slick and I thought they had a great attitude around the pitch,” Lymington boss Dave Lewis said. “As the game went on they were unpicking us in different areas all over the pitch.
“We more than contained them up until the first goal. It was getting to a critical point. Ten minutes before half-time and they got that, it settled them and they came in 2-0 up.
“That was what the game hinged on from our point of view, but once they settled there was only one team in it. We created some dangerous moments before then, but we were up against it.”
Asa Hall and Ruairi Keating each went close to opening the scoring on two occasions as the Gulls looked to quickly extinguish any hope Lymington had.
They enjoyed their moments, Sam House flashing a ball across the Torquay box and former Totton attacker Mike Gosney stinging the palms of Shaun MacDonald from range after pulling the ball out of the sky.
But the movement of Torquay was always going to catch up with them as it proved on 36 minutes.
Ben Wynter clipped an inswinging cross in from the right which the unfortunate Lewis Brailey could only glance past his own keeper.
Within two minutes the lead was double. Jake Andrews switched a wonderful long pass from left to right that sent the electric Opi Edwards free and he cut the ball across goal where Jamie Reid arrived to tap in.
Andrews and Edwards, two loanees where new manager Gary Johnson has made the most of a father-son connection with Bristol City boss Lee, were showing their class.
Edwards’ passing was a joy as he sprayed the ball left to right again before, after play had worked its way back to him, trying an audacious chip that Jones did brilliantly to tip over the bar.
The Lymington stopper was in sensational form, making three brilliant saves at full stretch early in the second half to keep out Keating, Andrews and, again, Hall.
Keating eventually prodded in the third and then a rare misjudgement from Jones ended up with George Regis poking into an empty net.
Substitute Brett Williams tapped in a fifth before fizzing a sixth into the bottom corner from distance and, in stoppage time, Andrews slotted in to complete the rout.
“I thought we looked very assured,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing a team at this level, a team at our level, a team of mannequins – you still have to pass it, run, you still have to control it, you still have to score goals.
“So I was pleased we came all this way, our fans came all this way, got soaking wet but they’ve seen seven goals.”
But really this was Lymington’s day in the spotlight and Lewis hopes they can build on their best ever FA Cup run.
“Hopefully we’ve shown the club in a good light to the local community and football fraternity around the local area and hopefully we can retain some of the support we’ve enjoyed because we are really appreciative of everything,” he said.
“The ground looked lovely, the pitch looked amazing and we’re grateful to the fans for coming out to support us.”