There were goals galore at Saturday’s Newport game as the Port took revenge on a Millbrook side that had beaten them 5-2 in the corresponding fixture in September.
The Port have now scored 39 goals in their 11 games in the season so far, at an average of over 3.54 goals per game.
Newport started the game on the front foot with Connor Kelly shooting just over the Dockers’ crossbar from a tight angle in the 1st minute. Jordan Browne made the breakthrough for Port in the 9th minute, sending a low shot to the left of Phillips in the Millbrook goal after being put through by Jake Wright (1-0).
The Millbrook defence and goalkeeper had a poor start to the game. In the 14th minute, right back Thomas came close to heading into his own goal. Then, in the 22nd minute, Phillips failed to catch a headed back pass cleanly, and the ball nearly trickled into his own goal. The Southampton side were punished in the 24th minute when Connor Kelly lobbed the Dockers’ keeper from 25 yards after collecting a long ball from Scott Sampson (2-0).
The Port did not sit back on their 2-goal cushion. On the half hour mark, pacey winger Connor Kelly set up Joe Craig to knock the ball into the back of the net from the middle of the penalty area (3-0). Then, in the 38th minute, Aaron Burford was bundled over just inside the Dockers’ penalty area, for Connor Kelly to coolly dispatch the resulting spot kick into the left side of the net (4-0).
The Dockers were extremely fortunate not to go into half time at a 5-goal disadvantage, as Neo Lamb struck the left post with a free kick in the final minute of the 1st half.
HT: Newport IoW 4-0 Millbrook
The 2nd half began in a similar manner to the 1st with another defensive lapse by the Dockers putting Joe Butcher through, but the Port forward failed to capitalize on his opportunity. However, Millbrook centre forward Mark Barker (who had netted 5 against the Port in Southampton) had a different script to that of an easy home win for Newport. In the 49th minute, Liam Triggs was dispossessed for Barker to curl the ball into the goal from the corner of the penalty area (4-1).
The Port then had chances to kill the game as a contest, with Jake Wright sliding the ball across the goal and past the far post, Jordan Browne sending a powerful shot past the top right corner of the Docker’s goal and Joe Butcher being put through before sending his shot over the crossbar. But it was Barker who was to score again in the 76th minute with a powerful free kick which left Gary Streeter rooted on the goal line: his 7th goal in 2 games against Newport (4-2).
Newport were to suffer a further set back when talented full back Ryan Hughes was forced to leave the field after a reckless challenge to be replaced by Jacob Reynolds. However, the home side successfully closed the game down in the last quarter of an hour to ensure all 3 points remained on the Island.
FT: Newport IoW 4-2 Millbrook
Newport IW: Streeter, Hughes (Reynolds), Lamb, Burford (Barron), Sampson, Triggs, Kelly, Wright, Browne (c), Craig, Butcher (Younie)
After the game, Newport co-manager, Stewart Shepherd said:
“It was good to go back to winning ways and get our revenge for losing in Southampton. It was an entertaining 1st half, but we went into the 2nd half with the mentality that we had got the job done. The return of Aaron Burford was a massive boost for us.”
Newport’s win leaves them in 2nd place in Wessex League 1 with 25 points from 11 games, 6 points behind leaders Bemerton.
VICS DROP 2 POINTS WITH LAST GASP EQUALIZER
East Cowes Vics travelled to North Hampshire without regular ‘keeper Alex Ram. His position between the sticks was taken by defender Chris Turner, who – according to manager Richie Woodburn – did a “fantastic” job.
Vics went 1 down after 25 minutes when Cameron George took advantage of some careless work from the Vics defence to put the Jam Boys into the lead (0-1). However, Vics equalized just a minute later. Toby Snow crossed the ball to Ryan Gregory, who laid the ball on to Jimmi Burton, for the prolific striker to bury the ball in the back of the net from the middle of the penalty area (1-1).
HT: Whitchurch United 1-1 East Cowes Vics
Vics took the lead in the 63rd minute, when Toby Snow passed to Burton, who sent a cross to Ryan Gregory, who then directed a looping header over the Whitchurch keeper and into the far corner of the goal (1-2).
The 2 teams were reduced to 10 men after Flynn Jones squared up to a Whitchurch player and both were given their marching orders, a decision the Vics bench found incomprehensible as there had been no physical contact involved.
The East Cowes side kept their one-goal advantage until the final action of the game when Craig Rutledge beat substitute keeper Turner with a header to stop the away side from returning to the Island with all 3 points.
FT: Whitchurch United 2-2 East Cowes Vics
Vics: Turner, Berry, Wrtight, Newbold (c), Jones, Snow, Hayward, Yates, Burton, Gregory, K. Woodford Subs: Chapman, Marsek, B. Woodford, West
After the game, manager Richie Woodburn said:
“We are a Jekyll and Hyde team. We played some fantastic football and made some schoolboy errors. It was 2 points dropped again. However, if you had offered me the point before the game, I would have taken it.”
Vics now lie in 15th place in Wessex League 1 with 10 points from 11 games. This Tuesday (19th October) Vics travel across the Solent to face 10th placed Romsey Town.
YACHTSMEN LOSE UNBEATEN HOME RECORD
Cowes Sports lost at Westwood Park in the Wessex League for the 1st time this season against New Forest side Bashley despite equalizing twice.
Bashley took the lead on 18 minutes through Jack Smith (0-1). Aedan Coode then came close to equalizing for the home side in the 26th minute, when a defender cleared the ball off the goal line. The new Forest side doubled their lead in the 26th minute through Harry Bunce (0-2).
The Yachtsmen then struck back with a brace from Connor Furmidge. First, Connor smashed the ball into the back of the net from close range in the 40th minute after being put through by Jimmy Mumford (1-2). Then, a minute before the half time break, the Cowes centre forward headed a cross from Darren Williams past Bashley keeper Sammy Thompson (2-2).
HT: Cowes Sports 2-2 Bashley
The Yachtsmen fell behind again in the 61st minute when Mitchell Ricketts was harshly adjudged to have handled a ball that appeared to have hit his back, and Lewis Ross slotted home the resulting spot kick (2-3). Ji Nash equalized in the 83rd minute with a sublime free kick into the top right corner of the Bashley goal from an acute angle (3-3). However, the Islanders’ joy was short-lived as substitute Bue Bennett restored the New Forester’s lead (3-4). This time, there was no way back for the home side as Bashley held on to all 3 points.
FT: Cowes Sports 3-4 Bashley
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Coshell (Holmes), Wykes, Conway (Watson), Chase (c), Ricketts, Williams, Mumford, Furmidge (McFarlane), Coode, Nash
The Yachtsmen’s home defeat sees them drop to 9th place in the Wessex Premier with 17 points from 12 games.
