Romsey Town found themselves victims of a ‘soccer smash and grab’ when Hamworthy United plundered two late goals to snatch victory last Tuesday evening at The AEC Protection Ground. 

The result was very much against the run of play after Josh Jeffrey had given Town a deserved lead and deprived them of a much needed morale boosting win, writes Tony Galsworthy.

Town boss Andy Samuels made five changes from last weekend’s FA Vase exit at Fleetlands. Line up: White; Prisk, Bryant (C), Hancock, Wilson; Lamb, Holloway, Earley, Dunn; Gibson, Jeffrey.

Club captain Craig Bryant made a landmark 250th starting appearance for the club as Romsey put in a high energy display that saw them take the lead in the 22nd minute. After a neat interchange of passes between Geoff Dunn and Josh Gibson had set up Josh Jeffrey, his shot was blocked but the visitors failed to clear their lines and, with the goalkeeper caught out of position, Harry Prisk lobbed the ball over him for Jeffrey to finish from close range.

Soon after a marauding run by Josh Gibson saw him felled just outside the area and Bryant hit a thunderous free kick just over the bar, as Romsey saw out the first half in the ascendancy.

Jeffrey and Gibson both saw goalbound efforts desperately blocked by defenders as Town continued to press forward in the second period. Romsey spurned a good opportunity to score when after a fine run and cross by Lamb, Gibson’s effort sailed harmlessly over the bar. Jeffrey then saw another shot from twenty yards go narrowly wide of the post. It took until the 73rd minute for Hamworthy to muster a shot on target when Sam White comfortably saved a long range attempt.

With Romsey pressing for a decisive second goal, a long ball from Hamworthy’s goalkeeper found the left winger whose instant control and cross was met by a powerful header from the unmarked Rowe that levelled the game in the 80th minute. As the game ticked over into added time an unfortunate ricochet handed the visitors an unexpected corner and Speers rose at the back post to head his side into an unlikely lead. Town made frantic efforts in dying seconds to salvage a point but to no avail. The result leaves Romsey in fifteenth place in the fledgling Division One table.

Tomorrow sees Town play host to Clanfield at the AEC Protection Ground (ko 3pm) in a hastily reversed League fixture, before they welcome Verwood Town for a League Cup tie on Tuesday September 3 (ko 7.45pm).