A BATTLING performance by a depleted Romsey Town saw them fall to defeat by a single goal margin at Folland Sports last Saturday. 

The Planemakers emerged as 3-2 victors at a sunny but chilly Hamble-le -Rice, where Town were missing five regular starters and handed debuts off the bench to Archie Greenough and Alfie Roberts, writes Tony Galsworthy. 

Romsey enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and went close to scoring with efforts by Geoff Dunn and Tiago Moreno. It was Dunn and Liam Magee who then set up their side’s best chance, but Josh Gibson blazed over from twelve yards. With half an hour played the hosts moved up a gear and Sam White saved a long range shot, before seeing Moore hit the post and then Ethan Madden had to make a goal line clearance to spare his ‘keeper’s blushes.

The hosts’ pressure soon led to a goal when Billy Brackley was outwitted by tricky winger Sheibatzadeh and brought him down in the box. Palmier confidently despatched the penalty into the top corner in the 40th minute to give his side the lead at the interval.

Folland Sports stayed on the front foot at the start of the second half with Marcinowski steering his shot just wide from Manuel’s cross. Town responded with a fantastic equaliser from Charlie Hawes who surged down the left flank, evading a lunging challenge before reaching the goal line and squeezing his close range shot between the keeper and the near post.

Next a header from Dunn’s free kick drew a diving save from Folland’s stopper before Town fell behind in the 79th minute in controversial circumstances. Ethan Madden was injured as he shepherded the ball out of play, but the referee allowed play to continue and from a quick throw-in and cross, Palmier was on hand to neatly convert his second goal. Town’s woes were compounded four minutes later when a free kick from 25 yards was crossed into the area and deceived both defence and ‘keeper Sam White to nestle in the net and give the Planemakers a 3-1 advantage.

A foul in the penalty area on Billy Brackley in the 87th minute threw Romsey a lifeline, and skipper Owen Holloway cooly tucked the resultant penalty kick into the corner of the net to reduce the deficit. Time ran out for the Bypass Boys though as White ‘s miserable afternoon ended with a booking as he charged out of his area and brought down Manuel.

On Tuesday evening Romsey’s home match against Newport (IW) was called off by the match referee less than hour before kick-off because of a sudden heavy downpour, after Town had prudently arranged a precautionary mid-afternoon pitch inspection when a local referee deemed the surface playable. This match has now been rearranged for next Tuesday April 9 (ko 7.30pm), before which Romsey travel to Cove tomorrow (ko 3pm) for a Division One fixture.