‘The result was secondary’ – Moneyfields boss Turnbull on tactical changes for Wessex League Cup win over holders Hamworthy

Having always favoured a 3-5-2 formation, Turnbull deployed a 4-2-3-1 system for last night’s 2-1 third round victory against holders Hamworthy at Dover Road.

Tom Cain and Adam Cripps were paired together in central defence with Josh Hazell starting on the left of the three and Mig Dark on the right with James Franklyn in the middle.

In the absence of 11-goal top scorer Steve Hutchings - who suffered a blow out on the A34 on his way back from working in Northamptonshire - young Josh Bailey was up front.

‘We thought we’d try something different,’ explained Turnbull. ‘That was probably the first time we played a back four since my first game at US (Portsmouth).

‘We wanted to try and get some minutes into some players, that was the primary aim - the result was secondary.

‘It was a chance to try Mig on the right hand side of a front three, a position he played in at Hythe, and to have Rob Evans overlapping on that side.’

Both teams rang the changes. Only six of the side that had started for Moneys in their 2-1 home league loss to Hamworthy last month started again last night, while just five of the Hammers starting XI that day kept their places.

Injuries put paid to some of Turnbull’s pre-match plans, though, with Dark forced off just before half-time with a hamstring injury.

Then, as young midfielder Toby Toman was preparing to be introduced in place of Bailey, Cripps suffered an ankle injury. With Josh Mound having already come on, Harry Birmingham was Moneys’ third sub as a straight swap for Cripps.

Bailey, fortunate therefore to still be on the pitch, equalised five minutes from time - the Hammers have taken a deserved lead through a Max Willcock header.

With penalties looming, Franklyn rolled home a stoppage time winner - taking his seasonal tally into double figures - after the ball had fallen kindly for him when challenging keeper Luke Barringer.

‘We done alright,’ reasoned Turnbull. ‘In the first half we were good out of possession, and a bit wasteful in possession. We adapted to Mig going off well.

‘We stuck at it, it shows the strength we have in the squad. Hamworthy don’t get beat that often, whichever eleven they have out.

‘We worked hard on being compact out of possession. No-one did, but if anyone had mentioned the shape (as a reason for potentially losing) … it had nothing to do with the shape, if you don’t look after the ball you will cause yourself problems.’

Next up for Moneys in the Wessex League Cup, a competition the club have never won, is a quarter final trek to north Dorset to face Shaftesbury.

Portsea Island rivals Baffins Milton Rovers could potentially await in the last four.

‘We’re doing it the hard way,’ said Turnbull. ‘If we get to the final we’ll have beaten Blackfield, Hamworthy, Shaftesbury and possibly Baffins - four of the best teams in the league. You couldn’t say we wouldn’t have deserved it.’