East Cowes Victoria 2 Ringwood Town 1

East Cowes Victoria 2 Ringwood Town 1

Sydenhams Wessex League – Division One

Ringwood team: Page, Pierson (T. Yeats, 75), Burge, Morrell, Leadbetter (Cooper, 66), Clark, Hetherington, Burrett, Howes, Burnet (Thompson, 75), Fleet.

Scorer: Howes.

Att: 29.

RINGWOOD Town manager Wayne Lockey was left to lament his team’s ‘pathetic’ second-half display at East Cowes Victoria on Saturday.

Carl Fleet headed against the bar twice, and Paul Burnet missed a one-on-one opportunity amongst other Ringwood chances in the first half.

But second-half goals from Andy Ebbs and Will Sturgess were enough for the hosts, as Nick Howes’ consolation direct from a corner came too late to spark a fightback.

“Our first half display was outstanding, but we have to be more clinical,” said Lockey.

“The players forgot to come out for the second half, and we were pathetic.

“It wasn’t that East Cowes stepped it up, we just let ourselves down.

“We stopped working for each other and taking responsibility. Basically, all the things you should do in football, we didn’t do.

“The only person who came out of it with any credit was our goalkeeper Jon Page because he kept us in it in the second half.

“I thought we had turned the corner after beating Horndean, but it wasn’t the case.”

The game was one of just two to survive the cold snap in Wessex Division One, but Lockey wouldn’t blame the conditions.

“The game shouldn’t have been played,” he said.

"We had a situation where one of our players couldn’t stand up as he waited to take a free kick.

“But I don’t want to use that as an excuse.”

Ringwood have a difficult derby match at home to second-placed Verwood Town on Boxing Day (11.55am).

There will be free Christmas nibbles for supporters of both teams.

“It will be a tough game and we will find out what the players are made of,” said Lockey.

“If we do show our true colours that would be frustrating in a way because it would confirm my suspicions that we are under achieving.”