Newport IW have maintained their push for promotion by beating Ringwood Town 3-0 and are now 5 points behind leaders Bemerton with 2 games in hand.
The Port put out a strong side for their 1st game at Smallbrook this year with the return of Connor Kelly from Covid despite the absence through suspension of influential central defender Martin McDonough.
The game began with plenty of early pressure for the Port with efforts from Jordan Browne, Connor Kelly and Joe Craig all going high or wide. Jordan Browne opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, heading the ball into the left corner following a perfect cross from Aaron Burford (1-0) 6 minutes later,Joe Craig intercepted the ball on the edge of the penalty area, turned, then buried the ball in the top left corner of the goal (2-0).
Joe Craig aggravated an injury in scoring and came off to be replaced by Jacob Reynolds. The final chance of the half fell to Connor Kelly who stung the Ringwood keeper’s gloves shortly before the interval.
HT: Newport IoW 2-0 Ringwood Town
The second half started as the first had finished, the Port scoring on 55 minutes courtesy of Joe Butcher, who got the final touch on a Jordan Browne header heading towards goal (3-0).
Jacob Reynolds, then forced a great 2-footed save from the Ringwood keeper on 56 minutes, before a Connor Kelly effort was deflected for a corner moments later. Reynolds had the goal at his mercy in the 63rd before firing over; Aaron Burford hit the crossbar in the 65th; Connor Kelly – causing all sorts of trouble on his return – shot at the keeper after being put clean through in the 67th.
Kelly and Reynolds continued to cause all sorts of problems for the Ringwood defence; Ringwood responded with two poor challenges on Kelly which saw the only two bookings of the game. Reynolds should have scored a hat-trick: going close on 76 minutes before shooting agonisingly wide 10 minutes before full time.
FT: Newport IoW 2-0 Ringwood Town
Newport: McCormack, Hughes, Lamb (Wetherick), Burford, Pearce, Triggs, Kelly, Wright, Browne (c), Craig (Reynolds), Butcher Unused Subs: Streeter (gk), Younie
After the game, Newport co-manager Stewart Shepherd said:
“We weren’t as good as we could be, but we’ll take the 3 points. On another day, we could have scored 8 goals. Jacob Reynolds missed 3 1-on-1s. But you can’t always get everything you want.”
The Port are back in action on Tuesday evening when they cross the Solent to face promotion rivals, 4th-placed Folland Sports.
Vics remain winless in 2022 after losing at home to a strong 7th-placed Romsey side, despite dominating for periods of the game.
Vics had the better of the 1st half with good chances falling to Jordan Chapman, Sam Cant, and Toby Snow. However, a bad injury to Vics keeper Alex Ram in the 25th minute – forcing him to be stretchered off and replaced between the sticks by defender Liam Newbold – changed the course of the game. 5 minutes later, Romsey’s Ollie Jenkins tested the substitute keeper with a free kick that Newbold was unable to stop (0-1) to give the away side a goal advantage at half time.
HT East Cowes Vics 0-1 Romsey Town
The visitors doubled their lead 5 minutes after the half time break through a mishit shot by Owen Holloway (0-2). Vics then pulled a goal back when Ollie West volleyed in a Jordan Chapman free kick (1-2). However, Romsey had the final word securing all 3 points with a far post header from Jenkins (1-3).
FT: East Cowes Vics 1-3 Romsey Town
East Cowes Vics: Ram, Berry, West, Gregory. Newbold, Chapman, Lyon, Cant, Snow, Hayward Subs: Marsek, Sherrin, Phillipson
After the game, Vics manager Richie Woodburn said:
“We played well, but a blend of misfortune and failure to convert our chances cost us the game. The turning point was losing Alex Ram midway through the 1st half. Liam Newbold bravely stepped up to wear the gloves, but sadly all of their goals were avoidable. It was a pleasing performance but a disappointing result.”
Vics’ defeat leaves them 17th in Wessex League 1 with 18 points from 26 games, just 1 place above the drop zone.
The Yachtsmen picked up a point in the battle of the islands despite trailing by 2 goals at half time.
With a strong wind behind them, Portland opened the scoring after 9 minutes through Troy Walbridge (1-0). 3 minutes before half time, the Blues doubled their lead when Ed Hatt could only parry a 25-yard effort and Ben Morris netted the rebound (2-0).
HT: Portland United 2-0 Cowes Sports
Fortunes changed in the 2nd half with the wind in favour of the Yachtsmen. First, a Portland defender headed into his own goal from a corner (2-1). 3 minutes later, again from a corner, Jack Barsdell put the Island side on level terms (2-2). Cowes took the lead in the 80th minute when Ji Nash picked up a long ball in the Portland penalty area and tapped the ball past the keeper (2-3). 3 minutes from the final whistle, the Blues salvaged a point through a goal from Oli Lowes.
FT: Portland United 3-3 Cowes Sports
Cowes Sports: Hatt, White, Coshell, West, Watson, Adams, Phillips (c), Mumford, Coode, Baersdell, Nash Subs: Kilroy, McKie, Jackson
The draw leaves Cowes in 16th place in the Wessex Premier with 30 points from 28 games, 1 point ahead of Portland.
On Tuesday, the Yachtsmen face 4th-placed Brockenhurst at Westwood Park. Kick-off is at 19:45.
