PADDY James lit up a grim Cams Alders afternoon with a sizzling 87th-minute winner which lifted Lymington and New Milton two rungs up the Wessex One ladder to fifth (November 13).

The diminutive Linnets striker collected a clearance from goalkeeper Mark Watson and raced some 40 yards down the left flank before drilling a fierce cross-shot beyond the reach of Lee Webber.

His goal was totally out of keeping with a mediocre and generally forgettable 90 minutes.

"It was a shocking game, played on an appalling surface. You couldn't play any sort of football on that," said Linnets boss Ian Robinson.

"I'm sure Fareham like to play football but it's got to be one of the worst pitches we've played on."

Robinson, who has five or six players nursing knocks ahead of Saturday's FA Vase visit to Bournemouth Poppies, thought his side deserved their win.

He added: "Our play deserved the victory, but the goal was a long time coming. We missed a few good chances and, in the end, it was a relief to get the three points."

The sides struggled to play any decent football on the bumpy, poor quality surface and both teams had been reduced to 10 men by the end of an often tetchy, error-strewn first half.

On the stroke of half-time, Fareham's Steve Boston was red-carded for a clumsy, over-zealous halfway-line tackle on Lymington's Chris Smith, who was sent off for retaliation.

Three other Fareham players and two from Lymington also found their way into the referee's notebook before the end.

Lymington had generally bossed the first half but rued the chances Kevin Reacord and match-winner James missed. Darren Powell also hit the Fareham woodwork.

Fareham survived early second-half pressure to create a few openings of their own through Floyd Hamodu and substitute Gary Franklin.

Both sides used their three substitutes, but it looked set to end in stalemate when Linnets pair Ben Thomson and Kevin James squandered later opportunities.

But, three minutes from the end, Paddy James produced a moment of magic to end the spectators' agony and give the men from Fawcett's Field the points.

Lymington and New Milton: Watson, P Smith, Powell, Towler, Curtis, C Smith, Reacord, Thomson (Crook), Carter (Clothier), Jackson (K James), P James.

Brockenhurst were brought back to earth with a bump after their midweek success at Andover as they slipped to a 2-0 loss at home to Cowes Sports.

Elliott Day and Andy Watson put the Islanders two up by half-time while Steve Hillyer came closest for Badgers.