“WE DID IT FOR ROY”: YACHTSMEN DEDICATE THUMPING VICTORY TO CLUB STALWART ROY DENHAM

High-flying Cowes Sports chalked up their 6th successive victory in the Wessex Premier against Fareham Town in front of 257 spectators at Westwood Park this afternoon (Saturday). However, the win was tinged with sadness following the sad loss of club stalwart Roy Denham to cancer the previous evening. A minute’s silence was staged before kick off in honour of Roy’s memory. The Yachtsmen began the game on the front foot with Jordan Cook volleying into the Fareham net after just 30seconds (1-0). The home side were 2 goals to the good by the 17th minute when central defender Ollie West chested the ball off the Fareham goalkeeper’s head into the back of the net (2-0). Fareham appeared threatening going forward, and the Yachtsmen had Ed Hatt to thank for preventing the Creeksiders from pulling a goal back on the half hour mark with a dive at full stretch to thwart Woodward. Connor Kelly then came close to adding a 3rd goal for the home side with an attempt that narrowly missed the right post. 10 minutes from half time, Kelly set up Joe Hancott to blast the ball into the Fareham net from just inside the 6-yard box (3-0).

Half time: Cowes Sports 3-0 Fareham Town The Yachtsmen continued to torment the Fareham defence in the 2nd half, with an Ollie West header bouncing off the crossbar 5 minutes from the restart. The away side were reduced to 10 men on the hour mark when Matt Pates appeared to have headbutted Jordan Cook and was awarded a straight red. Cook – who had received a facial injury – left the field to be replaced by Jimmy Mumford. The home side managed to get the ball in the opposition net again in the 64th minute through a Joe Hancott volley that was ruled offside. Scott McFarlane then had a powerful goal attempt blocked by the Fareham keeper.

The Yachtsmen finally added a 4th through man-of-the-match Ollie West in the 75th minute, who bagged his brace with a towering header after being set up by a sublime Scott McFarlane cross (4-0). Substitute Will Bridi came close to adding to the Cowes tally in the 80th minute but had his shot stopped by the Fareham keeper after beating 2 Fareham defenders in a storming run down the middle of the pitch. Full time: Cowes Sports 4-0 Fareham Town

Cowes Sports: Hatt, Dempsey, West, Triggs (Wykes ’77), Oatley, Hancott, Phillips (Neale ’70), Cook (Mumford ’64), McFarlane (Southcott ’82), McKie (c), Kelly (Bridi ’73) After the game, manager Max Draper said:

“That win was for Roy, who died last night. He was someone who stuck by us through all the bad days when we lost heavily.” “As for reaching the play off places, we’ll take one game at a time. We have another massive game (against Hamble) next week.”

Cowes remain 6th in the Wessex Premier with 31 points from 17 games, 4 points behind 5th-placed Brockenhurst but with 2 games in hand.