EIGHT first team regular players was the amount Bemerton Heath Harlequins were missing for their Wessex Premier trip to Lymington Town, which ended in defeat.

Suspensions, injuries and work commitments gave Ian Chalk one of the biggest selection headaches of the season as he had to conjure up a squad late on Friday night for the coastal trip.

As expected, Bemerton were on the back foot but they did have their own set of chances, one of which came to Jack Eves, but goals either side of the half from Jake Bockhart and James Davies ensured victory for the hosts.

Manager Chalk bemoaned his depleted situation: “Lymington is a hard place to go at the best of times but to go there with eight regular players missing is virtually impossible.

“To lose that quality would be like Real Madrid going to Barcelona without Ronaldo and Bale.

“We did, however, play very well at times and worked so hard throughout.

“It was especially pleasing to see TJ Mosely back playing a full game and three new youngsters from our youth team playing as well. The main object of the game was to clear four of the suspensions before the Vase game on Saturday.

Chalk’s Harlequins avenged the defeat in the Russell Cotes Cup midweek by winning a dramatic penalty shootout 3-4 after it finished 1-1 in normal time.

That win bodes well for Saturday’s second-round cruncher in the FA Vase with Blackfield and Langley (3pm).

The winner will receive a cash prize of £1,200.