Cowes Sports have advanced to the next round of the FA Vase by putting paid to Portchester on penalties.
Portchester are the team regarded by many as the strongest and wealthiest in the Wessex League.
The Yachtsmen specialise in winning cup ties on penalty shootouts: on Tuesday they overcame Hythe and Dibden at Westwood Park in the same manner.
Portchester began the game on the front foot with Lee Wort hitting the upright in the 3rd minute.
Cowes Sports then took a surprise lead 4 minutes later when Scott McFarlane sent a pass from inside his own half to an in-form George Carter-Knight, who buried the ball in the back of the Portchester net (0-1).
The home side then had a number of goal attempts. In the 8th minute Cowan shot just wide; in the 23rd minute Bailey failed to hit the target.
However, the Yachtsmen survived the remainder of the 1st half with keeper Ed Hatt rarely troubled.
Half time: AFC Portchester 0-1 Cowes Sports
Cowes Sports had to weather early 2nd half pressure. In the 55th minute, Raine shot well wide. 3 minutes later, Brook hit the side netting. In the 64th, Benfield failed to trouble Ed Hatt with further inaccurate shooting.
6 minutes from full time, Portchester finally equalised through a fine strike from Marley Ridge (1-1).
The North Island side came close to stealing the game at the death when Brook rounded Ed Hatt but could only hit the upright with his goal attempt.
Full time: AFC Portchester 1-1 Cowes Sports
And so to penalties …
Ed Hatt saved 2 spot kicks for the Yachtsmen; Cowes Sports put all theirs away without mishap. The penalty takers were (in order) Liam Triggs, George Colson, George Carter-Knight and John McKie.
Penalties: AFC Portchester 3-4 Cowes Sports
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Mumford, Dempsey, O. West, Oatley, McFarlane, Triggs, Colson, Conway, Carter-Knight, Phillips (c) Subs: Ahmed, Mckie, Cook, Wykes
After the game, winning penalty taker John McKie said:
“It was a great win. We deserved it over the 90 minutes, so – in some sense – it’s a shame we went to penalties.
“We knew we would win when it went to that stage. Ed Hatt is just another level when it comes to penalties; so, all we had to do was put ours away.”
Cowes Sports now face vanquishers of Newport – Combined Counties Premier side Alton – away in the next round on 23rd September.
EAST COWES VICS 0-1 BROCKENHURST
A depleted East Cowes Vics side lost to Wessex Premier Brockenhurst by the only goal of the game.
Vics started the game without captain Callum Chase and midfield powerhouse Jacob Reynolds (both suspended) as well as 1st team regular Jordan Chapman (unavailable).
Vics were dealt an early blow when centre-forward Charlie Marsek was forced to come off the field injured in the 10th minute.
Indiscipline cost Vics dear for the 2nd Saturday in succession when Rafferty Boyd-Kerr was sent off in the 35th minute for a reckless challenge.
Half time: East Cowes Vics 0-0 Brockenhurst
Vics defended well in the 2nd half despite having been reduced to 10 men. Keeper Alex Ram made some decisive interventions, including a Banksesque 1-handed save in the 52nd minute and an acrobatic stop with his boot on the hour mark.
Although they had far less of the possession than their opponents, the East Cowes side looked dangerous on the break, with Josh Neale twice having golden scoring opportunities in the 65th and 70th minutes stopped by the Badgers’ keeper.
On the hour mark, Brockenhurst hit the crossbar; 10 minutes later, Ronan Moore toe poked the ball past Toby Snow from a corner to give the away side the lead.
Vics put Brockenhurst under pressure for the final 15 minutes, but the New Forest side held out for the win.
Full time: East Cowes Vics 0-1 Brockenhurst
Vics: Ram, Snow, H. Yates, Newbold, Berry, Taylor, Mumford, Boyd-Kerr, Marsek, Coode, J. Neale Subs: Hart, Nash, Turner, Sanderson, S. Backshall, Ashley
After the game, frustrated Vics manager Alex Smith said:
“This was a game we could have won. However, I’m proud of the way the lads performed against higher division opposition after the sending off and the absence of key players. We created the 2 best chances of the game through Josh Neale.”
ALTON 5-0 NEWPORT IoW
Newport were knocked out of the FA Vase by Combined Counties Premier side Alton.
The Port were 1-0 down at half time after conceding a 28th minute penalty converted by Oli Page.
The County Town club trailed by a single goal until the 65th minute when Page bagged his brace.
Nasim Regragui then netted twice for the home side in the 68th and 88th minutes. The 5th goal for the North Hampshire side came in the 90th minute courtesy of Archie Larkham.
The Port had a man-of-the-match performance from keeoer Leon Pitman to thank for not conceding more than 5 goals.
Newport (IoW): Pitman, H. West, Page, Waterson, McDonough, Pearce, Oatley, Bristow, Browne, Melton, Myram Subs: Walsh, Streeter (gk), Smith
