Cowes Sports return to form after ending a miserable run of 3 successive defeats with an emphatic victory against mid-table Alton at Westwood Park yesterday (Saturday).
The Yachtsmen, fielding 4 forwards in an attacking line-up – Jack Barsdell, Connor Furmidge, John McKie and Ji Nash – dominated the 1st half and could easily have led by 3 goals at half time.
Cowes showed their attacking intent as early as the 6th minute when John McKie weaved past a couple of Alton defenders before sending a thunderbolt shot just past the left post. It was that man McKie again in the 10th minute who forced a good parry from the Alton keeper with another fierce strike. McKie finally got his name on the score sheet in his 3rd attempt on the quarter hour mark when Ji Nash sent a low cross from the left to the middle of the penalty area for the prolific number 10 to bury the ball in the back of the net (1-0).
The Brewers equalized in the 24th minute when an unmarked Steve Black headed the ball into an empty Cowes net from close to the goal line (1-1). Ji Nash should then have given the Yachtsmen the lead in the 33rd minute after collecting a long, low cross from McKie at the far post but with no one to beat could only direct his goal attempt into the side netting.
HT: Cowes Sports 1-1 Alton
The Yachtsmen carried on from where they had left off after the interval with a dominant 2nd half performance. The Yachtsmen deservedly regained the lead in the 54th minute when Scott McFarlane headed in a Fin Phillips corner at the far post (2-1).
In the 67th minute, McKie added a 2nd goal to his tally when he intercepted the ball before sending it into the back of the net from an acute angle (3-1). McKie was unlucky not to have scored a hat trick in the 79th minute when he saw his sliding shot bounce off the far post. In the 82nd minute Ji Nash made up for his 1st half miss by scoring a poacher’s goal after Aedan Coode saw his long-range effort bounce off the Alton crossbar (4-1).
FT: Cowes Sports 4-1 Alton
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Coshell, Mumford, Ricketts, Watson, McFarlane (Coode). Phillips (c), Barsdell (White), Furmidge, McKie (Boyd-Kerr), Nash Subs: Conway, Denness (gk)
After the match a satisfied Cowes Sports manager Max Draper said:
“We haven’t been ourselves the past few games. We were off pace. We needed a response from the lads.”
Victory at Westwood Park sees the Yachtsmen climb to 14th place in the Wessex Premier with 25 points from 20 games.
VICS PERFORM WELL DESPITE HOME DEFEAT
A young East Cowes Vics team competed well against 2nd placed Folland Sports at Beatrice Avenue despite losing by a 1-goal margin.
With Brandon Hayward and Jamie Wright suspended and Harri Catania and Ollie West unavailable, manager Richard Woodburn was forced to reshuffle his side. Vics featured 4 teenagers in their starting line-up and on the substitutes bench: Charlie Marsek, Toby Snow, Kade Woodford and newcomer Jake McNaney. Coner Lyon also made his debut for Vics.
The game began disastrously for the East Cowes side, who conceded a sloppy goal in the 3rd minute whan Fabio Manuel toe-poked the ball through the Vics defence (0-1). Ethan Saunders then hit the crossbar for the Plane makers before Toby Snow missed an excellent chance to equalize for the Islanders. Folland grabbed a 2nd goal in the 38th minute through a Will Gangee header (0-2). However, Ryan Gregory gave Vics hope a minute before half-time by dispatching a free kick round the Folland’s wall (1-2).
HT: East Cowes Vics 1-2 Folland Sports
The 2nd half was a fractious affair which featured more action off the ball than goal scoring chances. Charlie Marsek had the best opportunity to level the scores when he was put clean through but failed to convert. The plane makers were unlucky not to have been down to 10 men when one of their number apparently head butted Vics centre forward Jimmi Burton in an incident missed by the referee. However, it was Vics who were to finish the game a player short after Ryan Gregory was sent off for a 2nd bookable offence.
FT: East Cowes Vics 1-2 Folland Sports
After the game Vics manager Richard Woodburn said:
“We were unfortunate to lose. We gave a good account of ourselves and could have taken something from the game.”
Vics defeat leaves them in 15th place in Wessex Division 1 with 17 points from 20 games.
NEWPORT REGRET FAILURE TO PUT AWAY CHANCES
The Port were unlucky to be held to a draw by North Hampshire side Whitchurch United after twice taking the lead.
Newport went in front against the Jam Boys through a 20th minute header from centre forward Jordan Browne (0-1). The home side then equalized through a 25-yard lob from Aaron Randall (1-1) to leave the two sides level going into half time.
In the 2nd half, the Port regained their lead through a Josh Younie free kick from just outside the penalty area (2-1). However, Newport were unable to take all 3 points home to the Island after Declan Shuttleworth scored a late equalizer for the home side, 5 minutes before the final whistle.
FT: Whitchurch United 2-2 Newport IoW
After the game, Newport co-manager Stewart Shepherd said:
“We could have scored 4 goals. We created a lot of chances that we weren’t able to put away. We hope to bounce back against Petersfield at Smallbrook next week.”
Newport’s failure to beat the Jam Boys sees them drop from 2nd to 4th place in Wessex Division 1 with 44 points from 20 games. The Port now trail leaders Bemerton by 6 points. Only 1 side is guaranteed promotion to the Premier Division this season.
