Cowes Sports swapped last weekend’s goal-fest for a narrow win over Christchurch to reach the 1st Round Proper this afternoon (Saturday).
Just 7 days after the Yachtsmen swept Christchurch aside 5–1, the Wessex Premier Division’s bottom side returned to Westwood Park determined not to suffer a repeat.
Christchurch, without a league win from their opening 7 games, adopted a far more defensive approach, sitting deep and allowing Cowes plenty of possession while denying the home side the space they had enjoyed the previous weekend.
The 113 spectators at Westwood Park were treated to nothing like the entertainment of 7 days earlier, with Christchurch’s tactics turning the return meeting into a far more attritional affair.
Cowes eventually found the breakthrough when the ball was played through the Christchurch defence for McFarlane, who got across his defender before being brought down inside the penalty area.
McKie stepped up and calmly passed the resulting spot kick into the bottom-right corner to put the Yachtsmen ahead (1–0).
It was a 7th goal in 8 games for evergreen striker John McKie, continuing his impressive start to the season.
There was precious little entertainment thereafter. Cowes created further opportunities in the 2nd half, but Christchurch continued to defend in numbers and made life difficult for the home side.
Neither side managed a goal from open play, with McKie’s penalty proving enough to send Cowes through.
Full Time: Cowes Sports 1–0 Christchurch
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Flood, Dempsey, Chase, Oatley (c), Carter-Knight, Biggs, Cook, Phillips, McFarlane, McKie. Subs: J. Mumford, Marsek, West, Arnold, St John Biggs.
Man of the Match: Ollie Flood.
Manager Mark Woodhouse said Christchurch had presented his side with a completely different challenge from the one they faced a week earlier.
“Last week they came here to play. This week they did the complete opposite. They let us have the ball for long periods, sat in their half and made us ask different questions. We came up with the answer.
“We didn’t score lots of goals, but a cup is about getting through. That’s all you need to do in a cup. You just need to keep winning your games and you stay in it. There’s no goal difference at stake.
“I said to the boys, ‘Enjoy it as much as last week’, because it’s a win to get us through to the next round and that’s all we needed today.”
Cowes are the only Isle of Wight side through to the FA Vase 1st Round Proper. They return to Wessex Premier Division action on Tuesday, travelling across the Solent to Powder Monkey Park to face Fleetlands at 19:30.
