LYMINGTON and New Milton bagged their first Ryman League point at Croydon Athletic, but were left fuming with the officials for denying them all three.

Lee Chudy looked to have won the game for Linnets with his first-half goal before a goal by former Cherries striker Joe Sheerin deep into injury time cruelly robbed them of victory.

The men from Fawcett's Field were upset that the referee found eight minutes to add on at the end of the game, allowing time for the hosts to equalise.

They were also bemused by the decision not to award a free-kick for a dive by a Croydon player in the lead up to the late equaliser.

Linnets boss Ian Robinson said: "At the end, I thought we were badly treated. The referee somehow found eight minutes to add on and they scored in the 96th minute. I think he must have had a sundial for a watch!

"They had a lot of people around the box and the ball was flying around in the lead-up to the goal. One of their guys took a dive and the ball fell to Sheerin who put it in.

"But we asked the referee about it and he said the guy wasn't seeking to gain an advantage but why was a free-kick not awarded to us then? It's just incredible.

"It just follows with the way things have been going for us with referees of late."

However, despite the sickening late blow, Robinson was pleased to get off the mark and admitted they had enjoyed some good fortune beforehand.

He said: "Croydon were a good side and we rode out luck a bit and could have been six down at half-time.

"Mark Watson made three great saves and they missed three sitters and we were under the cosh in the first half.

"We had to defend a lot but when we did pass it, we did it quite well."

The stifling conditions in London did not help Linnets and Robinson decided to make a tactical change just 10 minutes in, bringing on the experienced Jimmy Sheppard to play as a sweeper.

And it was the visitors who took the lead, against the run of play, when Chudy charged down a clearance by the Croydon goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the empty net.

Despite the pressure, Lymington and New Milton held their own and with Watson in fine form in goal, looked to have earned maximum points.

But Sheerin had the final word as he netted following the controversial diving incident to deny Robinson's side.

Lymington and New Milton: Watson, Reacord, Towler, Powell, Marwood (Sheppard 10), Clothier, Mulhern, K James (Griffiths 60), Hussey, Chudy (Gregory 80), Barnes. Unused subs: Hookway, Thomson.