The Yachtsmen find themselves in the unfamiliar position of 1st place in the Wessex League table this morning after just 1 game, by comfortably beating the Wiltshire side Amesbury Town on their travels.
Cowes Sports manager, Max Draper, did not appear confident of victory in his pre-match comments, emphasising that 8 of his first team regulars were missing from his starting line-up including captain and talisman John McKie, defensive enforcer Callum Chase and regular goalkeeper Ed Hatt. However, their teenage replacements proved more than a match for a poor Amesbury side.
The Yachtsmen took the lead in the 16th minute through centre forward, Ji Nash, who sent a low shot through a crowded penalty area past Amesbury ‘keeper, Felix Davies (1-0). The Island side had replacement goalkeeper Jamie Lininington to thank for preserving their lead in the 32nd minute by first heading the ball away outside his penalty area and then making a spectacular one handed save to prevent Amesbury’s Luke Cron from scoring with a speculative strike.
Disaster struck for Amesbury 5 minutes before the half time interval when Zac Pickett prevented Ji Nash from having a clear run on goal with a blatant professional foul just outside the penalty area. Referee, Jim Macey, had little hesitation in red carding the Amesbury player despite his vehement protestations of innocence. Man-of-the-match, Jez Conway, then confidently dispatched the resulting free kick into the top corner of the Amesbury goal (2-0) to give the Yachtsmen a well deserved 2-goal advantage at half time.
HT: Amesbury 0-2 Cowes Sports
Playing against 10 men, the Yachtsmen continued to be the stronger side in the second half but were unable to extend their lead. In the 50th minute Jimmy Wykes struck the ball just over the crossbar and 5 minutes later Ji Nash shot just wide. Jamie Linington then pulled off a good save to preserve the Island side’s 2-goal advantage.
Ji was unlucky not to get a 2nd goal in the 63rd minute when he hit the post with a close-range effort. Any hopes an ill-disciplined Amesbury side may have had for clawing back a 2-goal advantage disappeared 10 minutes before the end of the game when they were reduced to just 9 men after Alex Fitzgerald was sin-binned for dissent.
FT: Amesbury 0-2 Cowes Sports
Cowes Sports: Linington, Pye-Poulter, Sexton, Perrin, Conway, Cruise, Phillips, Mumford, Nash, Ashley, Wykes Subs: Backshall, Furmidge, Draper, Cox
After the game, Cowes assistant manager, Alex Smith, said:
“We shall go into every game whether home or away or against a top or bottom-of-the-league side with an underdog attitude. We didn’t play unbelievable football but the spirit was correct.”
Manager, Max Draper, said:
“I was as proud as punch with the performance. The lads have energy and bottle. One thing we do is to fight together. We have a team that will back each other up when we hit a low point”.
Cowes will face a sterner test on Tuesday (3rd August) when they travel to face Moneyfields in Portsmouth, a side that voluntary left the Southern League at the end of last season due to financial constraints. The Yachtsmen will apparently be able to field a full-strength side for their next fixture and need only a point to preserve their lead at the top of the Wessex Premier.
Newport continued their spectacular pre-season form, winning 0-11 away to Hampshire League Paulsgrove, despite being reduced to 10 men for much of the 2nd half after Sam Phelps was sent off.
The scorers for the Port were: Jacob Reynolds (3), Joe Craig (2), Joe Butcher (2), Jared Wetherick (2), Connor Kelly and Neo Lamb.
Newport have now scored 34 goals in 4 pre-season games, averaging over 8 goals per game. The Port begin their Wessex League 1 campaign on Saturday, 7th August, with a home tie against Romsey Town at Smallbrook stadium.
East Cowes Vics lost 6-2 away to Dorset Wessex Premier League side, Shaftesbury.
Vics will face Infinity in their 1st Wessex League 1 tie at Beatrice Avenue on Saturday.
