East Cowes Vics lost their final pre-season game 0-1 against a team tipped to win promotion from the Wessex League this season – AFC Portchester.
Last season, Vics were trounced 1-8 at Beatrice Avenue by Portchy in the FA Vase. This season, there was no clear difference in class between the 2 sides.
Vics have had a good pre-season campaign, winning 1-3 away to Infinity and 0-1 and Hayling before being held to a 0-0 draw by step 5 side Saltdean at Beatrice Avenue.
Portchester began the game brightly with Lee Wort missing some good opportunities to put the Hampshire side into the lead.
George Barker broke the deadlock for Portchy on the half-hour mark when he deftly turned and scored from the edge of the 6-yard box.
The East Cowes outfit then had 3 good opportunities to equalise with Jacob Reynolds mishitting the ball in a promising position in the 33rd minute, Rafferty Boyd-Kerr hitting the crossbar in the 37th and Josh Neale hitting the side netting when clean through 5 minutes before the half time break.
Half time: East Cowes Vics 0-1 AFC Portchester
Portchester dominated the 2nd half without extending their lead. However, Vics came back strongly in the closing minutes of the game and almost snatched a draw.
Impressive Portchester trialist Rudi Plummer twice hit the crossbar in the 70th and 72nd minutes.
Vics substitute Harrison Taylor came close to scoring twice, first sending a strike just over the crossbar in the 80th minute before having a powerful free kick fisted over the crossbar 5 minutes from full time.
The game ended in controversy with Portchester’s James Cohen sinbinned but otherwise the game was played in a sporting manner.
East Cowes Vics: Ram, Snow (Mumford), H. Yates, Newbold, Berry (Hart), Reynolds, Chapman, Boyd-Kerr, Nash (Sanderson), Coode (Taylor), Neale (Backshall)
After the game, Vics manager Alex Smith appeared satisfied with his side’s performance, saying: “We held our own.”
When asked how he expects Vics to perform in the forthcoming season, Alex said:
“I don’t set targets. The aim is simply to win every game.”
Vics begin their season in earnest on Saturday 5th August away to North Hampshire side Andover Town in Wessex Division 1.
Vics’ Development side were also in action on Saturday, winning 0-4 against Vectis at Cowes Enterprise College. The Vics scorers were Jayden Yates (X2), Fraser Llloyd and Aidan Sheerin.
