Former Gosport Borough boss Lee Molyneaux makes losing Hampshire Premier League debut for Locks Heath as 10-man Harvest triumph

The 39-year-old defender has stepped down into the county league after making just two starts for Wessex League outfit Horndean in 2022/23.

Molyneaux, a double promotion winner at both Gosport Borough and Hawks had been a regular at step 5 for Baffins Milton Rovers last term.

After making his Locks debut in a 3-0 midweek Southampton Senior Cup win against Braishfield, Molyneaux again lined up at centre half for the league visit of Harvest.

And despite the visitors having Churchill Chia-Titor sent off after just 15 minutes, Locks suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat.

Left-back Chia-Titor was shown a straight red for bringing down Connor Johnson.

But former Hayling United striker Dan Goodsell struck the only goal as Locks failed to close the six-point gap on them and leaders Stockbridge, though they still have two games in hand.

Molyneaux has ended up at Locks due to his friendship with joint-boss Ben Buckland, who he knows from his days as Gosport Borough boss three seasons ago.

‘It’s a massive coup for the club,’ said co-boss Dave Hazelgrove. ‘Lee’s been fantastic in the two games he’s played.

‘He didn’t want all the travelling in the Wessex League, and having to train twice a week.

‘He brings a different voice to the dressing room, and a wealth of experience will be invaluable.

‘He’s been playing centre half but perhaps in hindsight we should have chucked him up front (against Harvest)!

‘We could still be there now and we wouldn’t have scored.

‘After the red card they went a bit more compact, they gave us a lot of the ball and tried to hit us on the counter. They were well organised.’

Without strikers Ryan Bath and Conor Hilton, Locks operated with Kurt Watts through the middle.

The nearest they came to scoring was when Jordan Lloyd cleared a shot off the line, with debutant keeper Stuart Rees keeping a clean sheet.

It was a first win for new Harvest boss Wayne Lawton, who had only replaced Steve Harris the previous Monday when the latter stepped down to concentrate on playing.

As for Molyneaux, he could be in line for a Gosport Borough reunion at the start of next month.

Locks are due to face the holders in a Portsmouth Senior Cup tie at Privett Park on November 2.

Before that, Locks host lower tier Broughton in a Hampshire Premier League Cup tie this weekend. Next midweek they go to Wessex 1 outfit Ringwood Town for a Russell Cotes Cup tie.