Cowes captain John McKie bagged a brace as Cowes Sports comfortably beat Wincanton Town at the Zilch Waste Stadium this afternoon (Saturday).
The Yachtsmen’s win sees the Island’s sole Wessex Premier representatives reach the top half of the Wessex Premier table for the first time this season.
This is some achievement for Cowes’ management team of Ian Potts and Mark Woodhouse as their side were winless and bottom of the league when they took over at the end of September.
Somerset side Wincanton began the game on the front foot, forcing a brilliant reaction save from Ed Hatt in the 9th minute. The Yachtsmen again had Hatt to thank in the 22nd minute when he prevented a Wincanton midfielder from scoring an excellent solo goal.
The Yachtsmen opened the scoring 8 minutes from half time through Connor Kelly, who converted a John McKie cross (1-0).
The Wasps were unlucky not to have equalised 2 minutes later when they had a headed goal disallowed for offside.
The half ended with a couple of bookings for Cowes – Scott McFarlane for kicking the ball away and Jordan Cook for a professional foul.
Half time: Cowes Sports 1-0 Wincanton Town
The 2nd half began with a let off for the home side when a Wincanton striker was gifted the ball by Jake Write only to fire past the far post.
McKie then doubled the home side’s lead in the 48th minute with a strike from the edge of the penalty area (2-0).
The Yachtsmen’s third came courtesy of Cap’n John, who was first fouled in the penalty area before converting the resulting spot kick (3-0).
The Wasps pulled a goal back 5 minutes from full time with a headed goal from a free kick (3-1).
Cowes were unlucky not to have scored a 4th shortly before the final whistle when first Connor Kelly struck the upright then John McKie had his follow-up goal disallowed for offside.
Full time: Cowes Sports 3-1 Wincanton Town
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Hughes, Dempsey, Chase, Oatley, Wright, McKie (c), Cook, Browne, McFarlane, Kelly Subs: Marsek, Carter-Knight, Tout-Walters, Phillips Man-of-the-match: John McKie
The Yachtsmen are now 10th in the Wessex Premier with 44 points from 33 games.
PORT FAIL TO MAKE PROGESS TOWARDS PLAYOFF POSITIONS
In Wessex Division 1, Newport were beaten by 2nd-placed Frimley Green at Beatrice Avenue.
Port began the game by nearly taking a shock lead from a corner, but were unable to poke in a loose ball which was cleared.
Newport went a goal down in the 25th minute from a 30-yard Thumbwood free kick, which took a wicked deflection, leaving Port keeper Pitman with no chance (0-1).
The remainder of the 1st half was a tight affair, with Ji Nash blazing a difficult chance over in the 37th minute and Kai Grace unable to convert a one-on-one scoring opportunity in the 43rd.
The killer goal for Frimley came 5 minutes into the 2nd half when Ross Murdoch took advantage of a lapse in concentration in the Newport defence to score..
Full time: Newport IW 0-2 Frimley Town
Newport IW: Pitman, Holbrook, Thompsett, Young, Watterson (c), McDonough, Butcher, Walsh, Nash, Conway, Grace Subs: Barsdale, Kirby, Arnold, Brien Man-of-the-match: Keelan Walsh
Newport remain in 8th place in Wessex Division 1 with 49 points from 39 games.
VICS TAKE POINT AT ASH UNITED
East Cowes Victoria had goalkeeper Alex Ram to thank for grinding out a point against relegation threatened Ash United in North Hampshire.
The game began badly for a depleted Vics side – missing Harrison Yates, Caleb Neale, Gareth Bricknell and Jordan Chapman – when Aedan Coode was forced off the pitch in the 7th minute with concussion to be replaced by Charlie Hart.
Ash took the lead 4 minutes from half time from a spot kick (1-0). Josh Neale equalised for the Victorians in the 48th minute (1-1). However, Alex Ram was forced to make a series of vital saves to restrict the home side to a single goal.
Full time: Ash United 1-1 East Cowes Victoria
East Cowes Victoria: Ram, Snow, Boyd-Kerr, Newbold, Perrin, Sullivan, Reynolds, Coode, Jones, Wheeler, J. Neale Subs: Voller, Hart, Cassford, Turner Man-of-the-match: Alex Ram
After the game, Vics manager Alex Smith said:
“With some of the saves that Alex made, we have to be content with getting out of here with a point. We have come on a long trip to a difficult place against a team in really good form. Ash will certainly feel very disappointed not to have won the game.
“We are as stretched as stretched can be with really big players not available. The guys who played have put a good shift in.
“Ash are really tough to play against. I think we made a few naive choices in the first half, and we could have made life more difficult for them.”
East Cowes Victoria remain 4th in Wessex Division 1 with 63 points from 32 games.
On Tuesday, Vics face Totton & Eling at Beatrice Avenue with kick off at 19:45.
