LYMINGTON Town have suffered a blow in the build-up to tonight’s big Sydenhams Premier Division showdown with Winchester City at Southampton Road.

The Linnets’ two hired guns, Jack Odam and Tony Lee, were firing on all cylinders on Saturday as Town blew Romsey away 8-0 in the FA Vase first round. The pair, dual-signed from Gosport and Eastleigh respectively, bagged six goals between them with ex-AFC Totton youth player Odam scoring four and Lee two.

But the partnership will be broken up tonight because Lee has been recalled by the Spitfires as cover for injury for their Vanarama Conference fixture at Dartford.

Playing back on home soil for the first time this season, Lymington scored three early goals and then rode out some Romsey pressure towards the end of the first half before adding five after the break.

‘Old’ heads Carlos Geteski and Warren Kenna also found the net for the Linnets who will tonight be looking to make amends for losing 5-2 to Winchester in the FA Cup at New Milton.

With goalkeeper Stuart Williamson having started a three-match ban on Saturday, Lymington have dual-signed Monty George from Portsmouth. George was with Lymo boss John Pyatt at Bashley last season, on loan from Salisbury City, and has since joined former Salisbury manager Mikey Harris at Fratton Park.

Pyatt has also borrowed a second Eastleigh player, Harrison Weeks who, like Lee, is highly rated by the Conference club and signed a permanent deal at the Silverlake during the summer.

“I’ve been lucky with my dual signings from Alex Pike at Gosport, Richard Hill at Eastleigh and now Mikey Harris at Portsmouth. We’ve got a good little side,” said Pyatt.

“To be fair to Romsey, they never gave up. They had a few chances, especially towards the end of the first half, and we couldn’t afford to take our foot off the gas.”

Lymington now head for Horndean in the next round.

Rock-bottom Totton & Eling, home to Andover Town in the league tonight, crashed out of the Vase 5-0 at Bridport, but Andover progressed 1-0 against Westbury United courtesy of Ryan Inskip’s 89th-minute winner at the Portway.

Hythe & Dibden (Terry Cox) bowed out 3-1 at Sydenhams One rivals Amesbury Town and Whitchurch United triumphed 3-2 at Almondsbury UWE to book a trip to Chippenham Park on October 4. Josh Green converted Whitchurch’s winner from the penalty spot.