Cowes Sports and East Cowes Victoria were knocked out of the Hampshire Senior Cup at the first round stage yesterday evening (Tuesday).
PENALTY HEARTBREAK FOR YACHTSMEN AFTER CONCEDING LATE GOAL
Cowes Sports lost on penalties at the Zilch Waste Stadium following a controversial equaliser 3 minutes from full time.
The Hampshire Cup was an opportunity to provide game time experience for some younger players with Oli Flood and Cory Sanderson both given their first starts of the season.
Chances were few and far between in an even first half. Most of the threat for Cowes came from Charlie Maresek, who had a strike from distance fumbled by the Eversley & California keeper in the 24th minute. The best chance for the home side came in the 37th minute when Scott McFarlane blasted the ball at Selby in the away side’s goal from close to the penalty spot after being set up by Marsek.
Half time: Cowes Sports 0-0 Eversley & California
The Yachtsmen took the lead in the 61st minute when a Ryan Hughes cross found George Carter-Knight, who blasted the ball home from the edge of the penalty area (1-0).
Further scoring opportunities fell for the home side with Eversley keeper Selby saving from Marsek in the 63rd and substitute Charlie Haward in the 79th.
The Eversley & California equaliser came 3 minutes from full time when the linesman controversially ruled that the ball had trickled over the goal line from a Henry Paxford strike after Ed Hatt had stopped an earlier shot from Andrew Clarke (1-1).
Full time: Cowes Sports 1-1 Eversley & California
And so to penalties…
Eversley & California converted all 5 of thei spot kicks without mishap. George Colson unfortunately missed the Yachtsmen’s 3rd penalty.
Penalties: Cowes Sports 3-5 Eversley & California
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Flood, Mumford, Chase (Perrin), Oatley (c), Colson, Sanderson (Hughes), Phillips, McFarlane, Carter-Knight (Haward), Marsek (Backshall) Subs (unused): Berry, McKie
After the game, Cowes co-manager Mark Woodhouse said:
“There were lots of positives. Anyone can lose in a penalty shootout in a cup game.But we created lots of chances, the performance was really high, and the lads are starting to develop the patterns we are wanting to learn.
“We used that as a high level training environment with a competitive edge. We would have loved to go through to the next round. But we haven’t.”
INJURIES MAR VICS’ DEFEAT AT ROMSEY
East Cowes Victoria suffered 2 possibly serious injuries in their Hampshire Cup defeat away to Romsey Town.
Harrison Yates damaged his knee and Rafferty Boyd-Kerr had a jaw injury on what was said to have been a dangerous pitch.
Manager Alex Smith even attempted to concede the game before the final whistle to avoid the possibility of further injuries.
The game was decided by a 2nd half goal from Romsey’s Ed Woodward.
Full Time: Romsey Town 1-0 East Cowes Victoria
East Cowes Victoria: Law, Holbrook, Wragg, Wheeler, Reynolds, Sullivan, Kelly, Boyd-Kerr, J. Neale, Mazambara, C. Neale Subs: Roberts, Snow, Yates, Hart, Voller
After the game, Vics manager Alex Smith said:
“The game was overshadowed by the injuries. The severity of them is yet to be determined.
“It’s frustrating when it’s the cup with the least value with almost nothing to gain from it.
“Before the game, we joked about the surface and it being dangerous. But when something serious happens, it becomes a bit different, because it is that poor.”
This Saturday (23rd Augtust), all 3 Isle of Wight Wessex League sides are in acction in the FA Vase, with Cowes Sports at home to Wincanton, East Cowes Victoria taking on Brockenhurst at Beatrice Avenue and Newport travelling to Pagham.
