‘Pathetic’ goal helps condemn Moneyfields to Wessex Premier Division home loss against Brockenhurst

Moneyfields boss Glenn Turnbull is being forced to take a Hampshire Senior Cup tie with lower division Andover New Street more seriously than he might have done a week or so ago.
Moneyfields manager Glenn Turnbull. Picture: Chris MoorhouseMoneyfields manager Glenn Turnbull. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Moneyfields manager Glenn Turnbull. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

Moneys host Wessex 1 outfit New Street on Tuesday in the county cup on the back of successive 2-0 Premier Division defeats.

A derby defeat at Baffins last Wednesday was followed up by a home loss to Brockenhurst yesterday.

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James Shorey put the hosts ahead shortly into the second half and Lyle Simpson added a second in stoppage time.

For Turnbull, it was a distinct case of deja vu - Baffins’ second goal had also come late on.

‘Both teams’ half-time talk would have been the same - ‘the game’s there to be won’,’ remarked the manager.

‘But we gave away a pathetic goal straight away and we’re then chasing the game.

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‘Tom Cain could have had a hat-trick, but if you’re relying on your centre half to score then you’re probably struggling a bit anyway.

‘It was a game of footballing cliches - if you don’t take your chances and you defend badly you’re probably going to lose.

‘Credit to Brock - they had done their homework. Pat (McManus, Brock boss) was telling me he had a 12-page dossier on us.’

Turnbull added: ‘People have messaged me saying we were unlucky at Baffins, that we deserved something. Others have said how nice to see a Moneyfields team trying to play it out from the back.

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‘It’s all well hearing that, but I’d prefer to have an extra four points.

‘I know some people think I was spinning some rhetoric about being happy to finish in the top half, but I wasn’t. There are no gimmees in this division.

‘In Wessex 1 we (US Portsmouth) could turn up and 80 per cent of the time we knew we’d probably win. It’s not like that now.’

Attention now turns to Tuesday’s county cup tie against an Andover side who have netted five times in their last two home Wessex 1 games.

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Luke Hooper, who scored 22 times in 30 games in 2019/20 - including one against US Portsmouth in Turnbull’s debut game in charge - struck hat-tricks in both those wins against Infinity and Fleet Spurs.

‘Ordinarily I would have given some players who haven’t played recently some minutes,’ said Turnbull.

‘Now the game is a little bit more important than that.

‘If we don’t get a result I might be getting a call from Pete (Seiden, chairman) giving me a vote of confidence!’

Moneys went into the game already without injured strikers Steve Hutchings, Tyler Moret, Andy Todd and Mig Dark.

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Bradey Norton, taking part in a pre-match fitness test, again felt an injured hamstring so didn’t take part.

James Franklyn was suffering with an ankle injury but due to lack of bodies was strapped up and completed 90 minutes.

He will definitely now be rested for the county cup tie, while Turnbull is glad Moneyfields have a blank date next Saturday.

They are next in action at Blackfield & Langley on September 1 in the Wessex League Cup before facing Christchurch (4) and Horndean (7) in league action.

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Talisman Hutchings - who suffered an ankle injury in Moneys’ opening game of 2021/22 against Cowes - could make his return in the FA Vase first qualifying round tie against lower tier Totton & Eling on September 11.