VERWOOD boss Adie Arnold admitted the best result of his managerial career had been tempered somewhat by the departure of opposite number Graham Kemp.

Jack Lovell’s first-half strike at Potterne Park saw lowly Verwood claim a memorable scalp in what was Kemp’s final game at the Winchester helm yesterday.

The former Christchurch boss parted company with the club by mutual consent on Thursday but agreed to take the reins against Arnold’s Potters.

News of Kemp’s exit was revealed on the official club website after the game, with City chief David Malone saying the decision had been “in the best interests of both Graham and the club”.

Malone’s statement said the parting had been “on very amicable terms” and added: “We both agreed that the commitment required to run our club was probably more than Graham could offer, particularly bearing in mind that he has a new young family and a round trip of around 100 miles every time he came to the ground.

“I personally was responsible for bringing Graham to WCFC – and I can assure you that I am bitterly disappointed that it has not worked out the way we both hoped it might. He remains a friend of both mine and WCFC – and we will always be grateful to him for the significant part he has played in ensuring the survival of this great club.”

Arnold told the Daily Echo: “I don’t know too many details but, looking at it from the outside, it has been a very difficult job for Graham.

“If you are the manager, you have got to be allowed to manage and I don’t think he has been. He is a quality manager and will bounce back. I have a lot of respect for him.”

Verwood’s third win of the campaign was sealed when Lovell outstripped his marker before finishing with aplomb past Winchester goalkeeper Stewart Kearn who later saved John Webb’s penalty.

“It was a tremendous win,” said Arnold. “There are clubs with money and clubs with no money and what we had in our dressing room showed money doesn’t always win the day.

“Winchester are a top-quality side and, if we had studied their team-sheet, it probably would have frightened us to death. But we had team spirit and togetherness and the lads worked their socks off.

“A report on their website said they had three or four clear-cut chances. With the money they are spending, if they can’t create three or four clear-cut chances against Verwood then they have got problems.

“Our game-plan was to try to stifle them, to be very solid and to try to hit them on the counter. It worked perfectly and the strengths in our team really shone through.”

Potters: Fawcett, Evans, Murray, Oldring, Kelly, Dyer, Gajic, Webb, Lovell, Joy, N Saxby. Unused subs: Kimber, Joyce, Snow, Lynch, D Saxby.