Moneyfields boss Turnbull left ‘gutted’ by ex-Southampton keeper’s heroics as Hamworthy extend unbeaten Wessex League Premier run

The youngster, whose two-year spell at St Mary’s finished last May, produced a series of fine first-half saves at Dover Road.

James Franklyn gave Moneys an eighth-minute lead and only Scott stood between Moneys and a far healthier lead.

He saved from Franklyn, Chad Cornwell and Tom Cain, while Franklyn also went clear on a one v one and failed to hit the target.

The Hammers levelled when Tom Price couldn’t keep out Max Wilcox’s header - ‘weak’, according to Turnbull - and they grabbed a second half winner through Drew Eccott-Young.

That extended Hamworthy’s run to just one loss in their last 24 league and cup games.

That was to higher division Cirencester in the FA Cup last month after knocking out two tiers higher Merthyr in the first qualifying round.

In the league, the Hammers have now won 11 of their last 13 games, drawing the other two, since a 3-0 loss at Christchurch on November 3, 2020.

Turnbull felt it should have been a second loss in 24 outings for Tim Sills’ men.

‘I think Hamworthy got away with one,’ he remarked. ‘I thought we were the better side. I was gutted at the end, I really was.

‘Teams are punishing us for missing chances - that’s the thing we’re learning.

‘I said to their keeper at the end ‘I don’t care what anyone else says, you’ve won the game for your team today.’

‘If we had gone two or three up they might not have come back.

‘We nullified (midfielder Steve) Devlin in the first half, he was dropping deeper to get the ball - at one point he picked it up behind his two centre halves.

‘We were breaking through their lines first half, but they sat deeper in the second half and Devlin got on the ball more. We also went a bit more long ball.’

Moneys picked up some injuries - Harry Birmingham coming off at half-time with a groin problem and top scorer Steve Hutchings replaced late on after rolling the same ankle which kept him out for a few weeks earlier this season.

Turnbull said before the game he wanted to see where his side were against one of the favourites to win the title.

‘We’re not far away from where we want to be,’ he said.

‘There were some nice comments from spectators who told me it was the best Moneyfields team they have seen in four years in terms of character and team spirit.

‘Someone told me that was the best performance they’d seen in four years. It was nice to hear but it means nothing when you get beat.’

The loss means Moneys have taken just one point from five games against the Premier’s top four teams in 2021/22.

‘It looks as if we have a hoodoo against the top sides, but we should have won (against Hamworthy),’ Turnbull stated.

Asked for his title race thoughts based on what’s he seen so far, he added: ‘Whoever finishes above Horndean and Hamworthy will definitely win the league.

‘Looking at the table, I’d be happy to finish in the top eight - that would be a mark of success.’