Saturday 17 January 2004

BROCKENHURST RES 3, WEYMOUTH RES 4

Ben Doidge has played his last game for Weymouth Reserves.

The 19-year-old son of ex-Terra Ashley, has been kicked out by the Wessex Stadium club following his sending off at Brockenhurst on Saturday.

Doidge only entered the action from the substitutes' bench with ten minutes remaining but was soon sent packing again after appearing to stamp on the hand of an opponent.

Fuming boss Dave Kiteley said: "Ben was lucky to last that long. The first thing he did was lunge two-footed at a Brockenhurst lad and he was fortunate the referee gave him the benefit of the doubt. But then he went and stamped on someone's hand and rightly got his marching orders.

"On the basis of that I've asked him to leave the club because there's no place for that sort of behaviour in my team. We were 4-3 up with seven minutes to go and his actions could have easily cost us the game.

"I'm not having it from my players, simple as that. It's stupid and uncalled for and Ben's paid the ultimate price."

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the visitors held on to claim the points against a decent New Forest outfit on a glue-pot of a pitch.

Two strikes from Adam Ravenscroft and a penalty by Ryan Hill sent them on their way with the winner coming late on from man of the match Paul Lambert.

Kiteley added: "The sending off aside, I was pleased with the way we played. Conditions weren't easy up there and Brockenhurst fielded a couple of first teamers because their senior team didn't have a game.

"I thought we coped well considering we were a bit under strength and a 4-3 victory away from home is a good result in anyone's book."

He added: "There were impressive displays from a few of the lads with goal-keeper Nick Carroll, and Paul Lambert the pick of the bunch and 15-year-old Tom Carter also did well on his first appearance back from injury."

Weymouth Reserves:

Carroll, Hill, Dixon, Forbes, Nicholson, Ravenscroft, Lambert, Bichard (Ross-Jenkins 86mins), O'Connell (Carter 75mins), Underhay, Webber (Doidge 80mins).