BACK in the early 1990s, Ian Robinson was managing Millbrook Lions in the Tyro League - but just look at him now!

Some 22 months after landing the Lymington & New Milton job, the side he built from scratch has dethroned the mighty Winchester City as Sydenhams Wessex League champions.

While Robinson with the championship trophy, was making his way through youth and reserve football with BAT, Romsey, Downton and Eastleigh and then on to first-team management at Totton, Linnets chairman John Mills presided over four championship seasons - three of them under L&NM's predecessors AFC Lymington.

But never can he remember experiencing the sheer elation that followed Saturday's 3-1 title-clinching victory over Gosport Borough.

"It's the best one of the lot when you consider where we were at the start of last season and what Ian's achieved in such a short space of time," he said.

With reigning champions Winchester sitting two points behind and boasting a superior goal difference, Lymington knew that only a win would do if Neil Hards's side beat Brockenhurst.

Robinson had been having sleepless nights mulling over Linnets' dismal record of three defeats and a draw in their last four meetings with Gosport, but his side took only 12 minutes to put his mind at ease with a classy run and cross by Sam Carter.

Fittingly the close-range finish came courtesy of Kevin Reacord, one of the core members of the AFC Totton side that Robinson remoulded from bottom-four to top-four material over seven successful years.

Lymington doubled their advantage with one of the most extraordinary goals of this champagne season.

As defender Darren Powell shaped to take a free kick from well inside the centre circle, he spotted Gosport's 6ft 5in keeper Colin Matthews off his line and miraculously sent the ball sailing over him from all of 45 yards.

Although Gosport made more of a match of it in the second half, they struggled to contain Lymington's pace and slick passing. And they were too easily undone on 65 minutes when Jimmy Anderson gleefully tucked away Linnets' third after a neat exchange of passes with Michael Jackson.

From being a virtual spectator for most of the afternoon, Linnets' keeper Mark Watson made a terrific save on 76 minutes to turn away Simon Stone's deflected piledriver.

Two minutes later he was beaten by a free kick from Gosport's former Winchester midfielder Kevin Brewster, but it was the newly-crowned champions who finished the stronger with Matthews saving well from Kevin James and Mark Clothier in a frantic finale.

Robinson was not ashamed to admit he shed a few tears as the partying began and smiled: "The boys have done so well. If we'd lost today it would still have been a great season, but this is the icing on the cake.

"I was at a low point in my football career when I left Totton, but as one door closed another opened.

"I'd won diddly-squat before today other than the Russell Cotes Cup with Totton. Even with Millbrook Lions we got to a cup final once and got hammered by Westwood!"

Gosport boss Mick Marsh, whose dearest wish had been to lead Gosport to the title, has had to settle for a disappointing fourth place, but he was generous in defeat.

"Ian (Robinson) and I were both running reserve teams 12 years ago," he recalled.

"Fair play to him for winning the title, he deserves it.

"He's a first-class manager and I can only feel envious of what he's done."