A RED card for influential midfielder Liam Cooke saw Romsey Town fall to a 3-1 defeat at Amesbury Town last weekend.

Romsey started off extremely brightly taking the game to their hosts. Indrit Elezi swung in a delightful cross which just alluded the incoming Padro De Carvalho within the first minute.

Town dominated possession and created chances with Amesbury unable to contain the midfield movement of Dominic Collicott, Josh Ramsey and Liam Cooke in particular.

Romsey had already seen further efforts from Carvalho and Elezi saved before the nature of the game changed in the tenth minute.

Cooke had already ridden one challenge from behind that knocked him slightly off balance before over stretching into a second one. Although no malice was intended, the referee deemed it a two footed challenge and showed Cooke a straight red card.

Despite the setback, Town rallied and were tremendously organised whilst still taking the game to Amesbury. Indeed Town took a well deserved lead on 30 minutes when De Carvalho followed up a fierce shot from Elezi and drilled home from eight yards.

Town looked very composed but just before the break a well worked move down the left saw Amesbury snatch an equaliser. The second half saw Amesbury come into the match far more but it was Romsey who still looked more threatening going forward.

As the half wore on Amesbury piled more men forward and went more direct. Their change in tactics paid off when decent build up play around the edge of the area resulted in a shot coming through a crowd of players, which Keeper George Passingham just failed to keep hold of.

As Romsey pressed for a leveller they were undone on the counter attack for Amesbury, who notched their third and sent Town home with nothing to show for their excellent performance.

Speaking after the defeat, head coach James Phillips said: “I was extremely pleased with how the players conducted themselves after going down to ten men. The maturity our young squad showed was commendable and we felt we still had enough chances to win the game.

“To play so well for so long with ten men against a team that was top of the league a week or so ago, shows we’re so close now to picking up the results we feel we deserve.”

Romsey Town’s Development squad continued their excellent form when they came from a goal down at home to beat Laverstock & Ford 2-1. Josh Graham and Andy Digweed got the Town goals.

This Saturday Town are hoping for a bumper crowd as they welcome local rivals Totton & Eling, managed by former Romsey Town manager Wayne Mew, to the Bypass ground for their league cup match (3pm).

Phillips said: “It’s yet another cup competition where we’ve drawn a team from a higher division but we’re looking forward to the challenge.

“It would be great to put in a good performance against a team from just down the road but this time to get a positive result. We’re really hoping for a big crowd because that’ll give the lads the confidence.”