The Yachtsman were knocked out of the Wessex League Cup by a feisty Andover New Street side on Tuesday night despite playing against 10 men for most of the game.
Wessex League Cup 2nd round: Cowes Sports 3-4 Andover New Street
The match began with a minute’s silence to commemorate the passing of Peter Butler at the weekend. Former player Peter was a Board member of Hampshire Football Association, Treasurer of the Isle of Wight Football Association, and father of two former Yachtsmen, Simon and Andy.
Wessex League 1 Andover New Street began the game the far brighter of the 2 teams. In the 7th minute, their centre forward, Robbie Owen, was upended in the Cowes penalty area but Referee, Liam White, waved play on. In the 8th minute, winger, Lloyd Thompson shot the ball over Ed Hatt’s crossbar. The visitor’s breakthrough came in the 10th minute when Ross Cook headed the ball past Hatt (0-1).
The Yachtsmen then suffered a serious setback when leading scorer, John McKie, was forced to leave the field of play with hamstring trouble and was substituted by big forward, Connor Furmidge. The Yachtsmen were 2 down in the 25th minute when Ross Cook laid the ball on to Shane Lock who scored from the middle of the penalty area (0-2).
There then followed a few minutes of drama when 2 Street players, Lock and Thompson, clashed heads and were lying prostrate on the pitch for some time while Cowes were mounting an attack. The Andover players were incensed that play had not been stopped for injured pair to receive treatment for possible head injuries and angrily protested to the referee. Street Centre back, Adam Pearson, was sent off by referee Liam White for arguing too loud and too long.
Following the interruption to play, Fin Phillips came close to pulling a goal back for the Yachtsmen with a curling free kick that bounced off the crossbar on the half hour mark. Ji Nash then had a couple of chances to reduce the deficit for the home side, getting the goal in the net in the 31st minute but being ruled offside and then shooting just over the crossbar.
HT: Cowes Sports 0-2 Andover New Street
The Yachtsmen returned after the half time break determined to claw back the 2-goal deficit. In the 46th minute, Fin Phillips picked up the ball in the middle of the penalty area and slotted it past Street goalkeeper O’Brien for the ball to bounce off the inside of the goalpost and into the net (1-2).
The Islanders then created wave after wave of attack. In the 47th minute, Callum Pye-Poulter had a strong shot blocked by the keeper. Fin Phillips shot just over the crossbar in the 50th, before having another attempt blocked by O’Brien a minute later. The Yachtsmen’s equalizing goal came in the 52nd minute when Ji Nash drove the ball into the penalty area from the left then placed the ball into the far corner of the net past outstretched Andover ‘keeper O’Brien (2-2).
At this point in the game, a Cowes victory appeared inevitable. However, a spirited Street side appeared not to have read the script. In the 61st minute, Reece Rusher flicked on Ross Cook for the Andover No 8 to bury the ball past Ed Hatt (2-3). In the 65th minute, Rusher again combined with Cook, who blasted the ball past Hatt to complete his hat trick (2-4).
Andover New Street than threw the Yachtsmen a lifeline in the 76th minute when their goalkeeper O’Brien could only parry a shot from Nash and the ball fell to Andover winger Thompson, who blasted it into his own net (3-4).
Max Draper threw on a pair of substitutes with Connor White replacing the ineffective Furmidge and substitute goalkeeper, Jamie Linington, coming on as a forward. However, despite two goalkeepers advancing up the pitch in a desperate attempt to level the score, the Yachtsmen were able to make little headway against a strong and spirited Street defence, who held out until the final whistle to advance to the 3rd round of the Wessex League Cup.
FT: Cowes Sports 3-4 Andover New Street
Cowes Sports: Hatt, Mumford, Pye-Poulter, Conway, Chase, Perrin, Phillips, Ashley, Nash, McKie, Coode Subs: White, Linington, Sexton, Furmidge, Elliott
After the match, victorious New Street manager, Jamie Coleman, said:
“We were aggressive. We won because we wanted it more than them, especially in the 1st half.”
Cowes manager, Max Draper, said:
“It was a bad day. But we shall be out there again on Saturday.”
The Yachtsmen, who currently lie in 4th place in the Wessex Premier, next face 17th-placed Amesbury at Westwood Park on Saturday, a team they comfortably beat 0-2 in Wiltshire in the opening game of the season. Kick-off is at the usual time of 15.00.
