Goalscoring milestone for Poppies' young gun Turner (From Bournemouth Echo)

Goalscoring milestone for Poppies' young gun Turner

11:08pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in Non league football By Neil Perrett

SCHOOLBOY Sam Turner may have carved his name in Wessex League history after coming off the bench to score for Bournemouth Poppies in their 4-1 defeat at Fawley tonight.

Turner, a 25th-minute replacement for Francesc Bosch-Mira, netted with his first touch, a composed close-range finish, to cancel out Steve Hall’s opener for Fawley.

And at just 16 years and 66 days, the Winton Boys’ School pupil became one of the youngest goalscorers – if not the youngest – in the 26-year history of the competition.

Turner, whose proud father Dean was among the crowd, started in the youth ranks at Victoria Park and will represent Highcliffe Hawks under-16s in the Bournemouth Cup finals day on Sunday.

Although details of individual goalscoring records in the Wessex League are sketchy, players are not permitted to compete in either of its two divisions until they have reached their 16th birthday.

Turner is likely to have become the youngest goalscorer in Poppies' Wessex League history with the club founder members in 1986 and resident in the top division ever since.

However, he was unable to help a weakened Poppies outfit avoid defeat, with further goals from Hall, Justin Grandison and Elliot Earl earning the Oilers a deserved victory.

Poppies: Jones, Molyneaux, Watt, Ward, Bosch-Mira (Turner, 25), Lockyer, Daniels, Mcrae (Khider, 12), Warren, Clarke, Phillips.