Baffins Milton Rovers considering appealing Rob Evans’ red card in Wessex League home defeat against Fareham

Josh Benfield has just scored Fareham's winner at Baffins last night. Picture by Ken Walker

The former Moneyfields and Portchester player was dismissed for violent conduct early in the second half of a 1-0 defeat.

Boss Danny Thompson told The News this morning: ‘I’ve watched it on VEO four or five times and I can’t believe it was a red card.

‘It was supposedly for kicking out but it’s the pettiest thing…it was a yellow card at the very, very worst.

Josh Benfield scores Fareham's winner at Baffins last night. Picture by Ken Walker

‘I’ve sent the VEO to the chairman (Steve Cripps) asking if he wants to appeal. I think there’s a real chance Rob could get off it (a suspension), it was real soft.’

As it stands, Evans will miss two big cup ties - next Tuesday’s Hampshire Senior Cup quarter-final trip to Aldershot and the following week’s Wessex League Cup semi-final at Andover Town. He will also sit out a Wessex trip to Cowes.

He will be a big loss - nobody has started more Wessex games (26 out of 28) for Baffins than Evans has this season.

The red card capped a miserable evening for Thompson as Baffins’ run of six straight home league wins was ended by Graham Rix’s inconsistent Creeksiders.

Baffins (blue) and Fareham' players wait for a corner. Picture by Ken Walker

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Last season, in January 2022, Josh Benfield came off the bench to score twice late on as Fareham won 5-4 at Baffins to prevent the hosts going top of the table.

Last night Benfield started and was again on target as Rovers’ hopes of replacing Hamble in sixth spot were dashed.

‘The first half was very poor, probably the worst we’ve played all season,’ reported Thompson. ‘Fareham wanted it more than us - they were first to every tackle, first to every loose ball.

Baffins (blue) v Fareham. Picture by Ken Walker

‘It was the first time this season that I lost my rag with them at half-time.

‘Second half we were a totally different side, even with 10 men, Fareham hardly got out of their half. But our first half performance absolutely cost us the three points.

‘You’re not going to win many football matches if you only play for 45 minutes, we’ve got to play for 95.’

Thompson introduced three strikers off the bench in a bid to find an equaliser - debutant Dec Seiden, one-time Fareham man Kelvin Robinson and youngster Liam Brewer.

But for all the home side’s possession, Reds keeper Luke Deacon did not have too much to do. ‘We didn’t really threaten their keeper enough,’ Thompson summed up.