The Port appear set for a promising season after thrashing Island League West Wight 16-0 in their 2nd pre-season game at Cowes Enterprise College on Saturday (17th July).
Newport have retained most of their best players from last season’s campaign and have added 3 strong signings to their squad: Aaron Burford from Cowes, Henry West from East Cowes Vics and Liam Harper from Bembridge. Missing from the team were Ryan Hughes and Jake Wright, who have signed for Southern League Gosport Borough.
Newport opened the scoring after just 2 minutes, when Mark Taylor blasted the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the penalty area (1-0). Liam Harper then slotted the ball into the goal from 5 yards out (2-0). A minute later, Josh Younie side-footed the ball into the West Wight goal (3-0).
In the 17th minute, Jordan Browne lobbed the West Wight keeper from the middle of the penalty area (4-0). Browne then rifled the ball into the top corner of the West Wight net in the 33rd minute (5-0). Finally, Younie blasted his 2nd goal past the West Wight keeper in the 45th minute to give the Port a commanding 6–goal advantage at half-time.
HT: Newport 6-0 West Wight
Newport then made 3 strong substitutions at half-time, bringing on leading scorer, Connor Kelly, prolific striker, Joe Butcher, and midfield dynamo, Jacob Reynolds. The fresh legs proved too strong for an ailing West Wight side, which conceded as many as10 second half goals.
Mark Taylor headed in the 1st second-half goal in the 48th minute (7-0). Goals then flowed from Jacob Reynolds (8-0), Joe Butcher (9-0), Jordan Browne (hat trick) (10-0) and Mark Taylor (hat-trick) (11-0). Newport then scored 5 goals in the final 10 minutes of the game, starting with a 4th goal for Jordan Browne (12-0), a great individual goal from Joe Butcher (13-0), a 2nd for substitute Jacob Reynolds (14-0), a 2nd for new signing Liam Harper (15-0) and finally a goal for Ollie McArthur (16-0).
The referee, J Hopkinson, then mercifully blew the whistle without playing the 5 minutes of extra time that should have been added for taking a refreshment break midway through the half.
FT: Newport 16-0 West Wight
Newport: McCormack, West, Lamb, Pearce, Barron, Burford, Taylor, McArthur, Younie, Browne, Harper Subs: Kelly, Butcher, Reynolds
West Wight: Monk, C Millar, Carey, Ring, Burgess, A Millar, Merrett, McFarlane, Groom, Smeaton, Moore Subs: Flynn, Long
After the game a philosophical West Wight manager, Johnny Holmes, said:
“I’m not bothered by the result, and I’m not reading too much into this. Everyone is away on holiday, and we had to play our 3rd choice keeper. It was just a bit of fitness practice for the boys on a baking hot day. We have only just started training,but Newport have been training for 3 weeks.”
When asked about West Wight’s Island League prospects, Holmes said:
“We are miles off where we need to be for the new season.”
Newport will face a sterner test on Wednesday night when they play Island League runners-up, Shanklin, at the County ground. Kick-off is at 18.30pm.
The Island’s only Wessex Premier League side, Cowes Sports, are showing inconsistency in their pre-season campaign, losing 4-1 at Wessex League 1 Bemerton Heath Harlequins on Saturday. Fin Phillips was the scorer of the Yachtsmen’s only goal.
Cowes next face Pagham at Westwood Park on Saturday, 24th July. Kick-off is at 12pm.
East Cowes Vics had Saturday’s tie against Brockenhurst abandoned. Vics will face Island League champions, Whitecroft & Barton.
