ALRESFORD TN 1, LYMINGTON TN 3

LYMINGTON banged another nail into Alresford’s relegation coffin with a win at Arlebury Park in midweek.

The Magpies looked good going forward, but their vulnerability at the back was fully exploited by the New Forest side.

Lymington scored from their first decent attack when Brad Strickland turned Ben Sullivan’s low cross past John Howard in the home goal.

Brian Howard equalised with a shot from the edge of the box and for a while it seemed to be anyone’s game. But then Strickland finished off Tom Mann’s cross for his second goal and Lymington led 2-1 at the break.

The second half was fiercely competitive and Alresford enjoyed a good spell of pressure, but with no end product.

Lymington made the game safe on 68 minutes. Alresford failed to mark up properly at a corner and Darren Ritchie side-footed across John Howard and into the bottom corner.

With tough matches coming up against Sholing and Salisbury, the Magpies are staring down the barrel as they fight to survive in the Sydenhams League (Wessex) Premier Division.