PORT HELD AT HOME BY COPTERMEN IN GAME MARRED BY CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD

Newport were held at home by Fleetlands in a scrappy game that ended with 4 bookings and a sending off following a mass brawl between the 2 sides at Beatrice Avenue on Tuesday evening. Fleetlands had the better of the 1st half and led by a single goal at the half time interval. The Coptermen’s No 11 Ollie Page forced a good save from Port keeper Pitman in the 21st minute, following which Page had a shot cleared off the line. In the 26th minute, Alfie Liss forced a further vital intervention from Pitman. It took until the 27th minute for the Port to make a serious attempt on goal when Joe Butcher saw his shot deflected past the post. Fleetlands finally took the lead 2 minutes before the half time interval when Ollie Page directed a Dale Mason cross into the Newport net at the near post from 6 yards (0-1). The Coptermen came close to doubling their lead on the stroke of half time when Ollie Page sent a long range effort inches past Pitman’s post. Half time: Newport (IoW) 0-1 Fleetlands The Port found an equaliser 7 minutes into the 2nd half, characteristically from a set piece. First, Joe Butcher had a strong goal attempt parried by the Fleetlands’ keeper. Nicky Vyse got the finishing touch to the resulting corner from close to the goal line (1-1). Further goal attempts followed for Newport, with Joe Butcher sending the ball over the crossbar in the 62nd minute and Harry Catania also dispatching a shot over the crossbar in the 76th. Fleetlands were unlucky to have had a goal disallowed in the 70th minute when Alfie Liss had his effort ruled offside. The game ended in controversy. First, Fleetlands had a strong penalty appeal turned down. Then, substitute Sonny Myram had what appeared to have been a good goal disallowed for a supposed foul on the keeper. With the game going into injury time, Neo Lamb made a reckless challenge on Fleetlands’ Cam Stone, who appeared to strike a blow at the Newport substitute.

There followed a couple of minutes of disorder between the 2 sides, in which Maca Watterson was also struck  by a Fleetlands’ player. After frantically blowing his whistle in an attempt to keep the 2 sides apart and consultation with the linesman, the referee red carded Maca Watterson and yellow carded Jordan Browne, as well as cautioning 3 of the Coptermen. Watterson – who appeared to have acted to separate the 2 sides – was harshly treated. No Fleetlands players were dismissed despite their having struck blows against opposition players.

The game ended after a further few minutes of injury time without further incident. Full time: Newport (IoW) 1-1 Fleetlands Newport (IoW): Pitman, West (Walsh ’70), Oatley, Watterson, McDonough, Sainsbury, Butcher, Catania, Browne, Craig (Lamb ’57), Vyse (Myram ’77) Subs: Page, Streeter (gk) The draw leaves Newport in 17th place in Wessex Division 1 with 18 points from 15 games but with games in hand on all the other teams in the bottom half of the table. This Saturday, Newport travel to 14th-placed Folland Sports.