Around 280 spectators gathered at the Molehill to remember Darren ‘Daz’ Powell as Binstead & COB returned to action for the first time in almost a month.
Players, supporters, friends and many familiar faces from across the Isle of Wight football community joined Binstead & COB in paying tribute to captain Darren ‘Daz’ Powell on an emotional afternoon at the Molehill.
An impeccably observed minute’s applause was held before kick-off, with both sets of players and supporters joining together in Darren’s memory.
Darren’s final appearance had come on the same pitch against Northwood St Johns on 5th September, when he suffered a cardiac arrest during Binstead’s opening game of the season. The match was abandoned as he received emergency treatment before being airlifted to Southampton General Hospital.
Darren later returned to St Mary’s Hospital, where he died on 23rd September surrounded by his family.
His connection with Binstead stretched back many years. After ending his long association with Newport, Darren described joining Binstead & COB as “returning to my roots”, following in the footsteps of his late father Fred, who had also been closely associated with the club.
Darren became captain at the Molehill and last season helped Binstead win the Junior A Cup and secure promotion back to Isle of Wight Division 1.
Before returning to Binstead, Darren had enjoyed an extraordinary career with Newport IW, making a club-record 585 appearances and scoring 73 goals for Port.
When the football got underway, Binstead started brightly against Hart United and enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges. The visitors began to exert greater pressure midway through the 1st half, although the Greens continued to look dangerous on the counter and the sides went into the interval level.
Hart broke the deadlock in the 49th minute when Harry Roberts headed Jason Atamba’s corner home at the far post (0-1).
Another set piece doubled the visitors’ advantage 9 minutes later, Billy Smith’s looping free kick finding the net (0-2).
Binstead found it increasingly difficult to respond against a well-drilled Hart side, although Craig Mason impressed at the back, with James Gallop and Dan Suckling also producing composed performances.
Smith completed the scoring 5 minutes from time when he lobbed goalkeeper Kirk Austin (0-3), but the afternoon was about far more than the result.
Binstead thanked Hart United for the respect they showed before, during and after an emotional afternoon, with the visitors staying behind following the final whistle to help take down the goals.
Full Time: Binstead & COB 0-3 Hart United
Binstead & COB: Austin, Suckling, Gallop, Mason, West, Milligan, Woodhouse, McInnes, Crook, McGee, Turner. Subs: Lock, Brooks, Dodd, Ross, Marchbank.
ISLAND SIDES ENDURE TOUGH AFTERNOON IN HAMPSHIRE CUPS
It proved a difficult afternoon for the Island sides involved in Hampshire Cup competitions.
Brading Town suffered a heavy defeat in the Saturday Trophy, going down 8-0 away to Southsea Sports. Sandown & Lake however had a more successful afternoon, overcoming Sway 5-6 on penalties affter drawing 2-2 over 90 minutes.
There was little luck for the Island sides in action in the Hampshire Saturday Vase. Josh Gwilliam, Riley Wain and Luca Burton were on target for Newport Reserves, but Port were beaten 3-5 at WightFibre Park by Bournemouth Electric Reserves, while Osborne Coburg went down 1-3 at home to Comrades.
Cowes Sports Reserves advanced to the next round after a home walkover againstTadley Calleva Reserves.
FOUR SIDES THROUGH TO NEXT ROUND OF JUNIOR A
West Wight Reserves, ECS, Niton and Shanklin Reserves all booked their places in the next round of the Junior A Cup on Saturday.
Casey Tyrell put West Wight Reserves ahead against Bembridge & Vectis Reserves at Steyne Park in the 25th minute and struck again on the hour, before Liam Blythe added a third in the 72nd. Bobbie Wye was on target for Bembridge as West Wight progressed with a 1-3 victory.
ECS established a 2-goal advantage before half time against Brading Town Reserves, with Christopher Turner opening the scoring in the 28th minute and Aiden Jones adding the second in the 42nd. John Robjant pulled one back with 10 minutes remaining, but ECS held on to progress 2-1.
At Springhead, Niton came through a 7-goal encounter with Seaview, winning 4-3 to book their place in the next round.
Shanklin Reserves also progressed at the County Ground, ending Ryde Saints’ unbeaten start to the season with a 3-1 victory.
W&B HIT 12 TO KEEP PRESSURE ON LEADERS
Whitecroft & Barton Sports kept up the pressure on Division 1 leaders West Wight with a 0-12 victory over Oakfield in Saturday’s only Isle of Wight Division 1 fixture.
Oakfield kept W&B within touching distance during the opening half at Slade Road, with Scott Sampson scoring twice to give the visitors a 0-2 advantage at the interval.
The floodgates opened after the break. Shay Dixon struck a hat-trick, Sampson completed his hat-trick and Kyle Kilroy bagged a brace, while Harry Mulholland, Matthew Benford, Samuel Cant and Theo Appell also found the net.
The emphatic win leaves unbeaten W&B 2nd with 8 points from 4 games, 2 points behind leaders West Wight. Oakfield remain at the foot of the table without a point from their opening 5 matches.
It was also a good afternoon for W&B Reserves, who beat Oakfield Reserves 0-8 in Combination 1, meaning the 2 W&B sides scored 20 unanswered goals between them on Saturday.
Isle of Wight football results for Saturday 3rd October
Hampshire Saturday Trophy
Binstead & COB 0-3 Hart United
Cowes Sports Reserves H-W Tadley Calleva Reserves
Southsea Sports 8-0 Brading Town
Sway 2-2 Sandown & Lake (Sway won 5-6 on penalties)
Hampshire Saturday Vase
Newport Reserves 3-5 Bournemouth Electric Reserves
Osborne Coburg 1-3 Comrades
Isle of Wight Division 1
Oakfield 0-12 Whitecroft & Barton Sports
Junior A Cup
Bembridge & Vectis Reserves 1-3 West Wight Reserves
ECS 2-1 Brading Town Reserves
Niton 4-3 Seaview
Shanklin Reserves 3-1 Ryde Saints
Memorial Cup
Newchurch 1-1 Bembridge & Vectis (Bembridge & Vectis won 4-2 on penalties)
Northwood St Johns 3-1 Shanklin
Combination 1
Oakfield Reserves 0-8 Whitecroft & Barton Sports Reserves
Sandown & Lake Reserves 1-2 ECS Reserves
Combination 2
Shanklin A 4-4 Northwood St Johns Reserves
Brading Town A 2-1 Osborne Coburg Reserves
Ryde Saints Reserves 2-3 Newchurch Reserves
West Wight A 4-0 Bembridge & Vectis A
