Cowes Sports 1 v Stockbridge 2
This fiercely contested game, that had almost everything, eventually went the way of the abrasive visitors as the Yachtsmen failed to break their winless sequence. The home defence looked a little shaky early on but managed to survive and then took the initiative without being able to break through.
In a flurry of action, Lee Davies headed Jamie Dyer’s free-kick straight at the visitors’ keeper then Davies set up Brendan Arnold, whose shot went narrowly wide. Finally, Sam Yelland threaded a through ball to Danny Ross, but as he ran clear of his markers, his shot was blocked by the keeper’s legs. Yelland then set up Lee Davies with a glorious cross-field ball, but the winger’s instant volley crashed back off of the angle of post and crossbar.
The second half was only a couple of minutes old when Brendan Arnold was flagged up for off-side but still hit a powerful shot towards goal, hitting the keeper, Alan Ralph, full in the face and laying him out cold. The striker was booked for his infringement but there was cause for concern as an ambulance was called for. A full half-hour passed before the medic arrived with the keeper still lying prone where he fell. Thankfully he managed to struggle to his feet and was helped off to receive treatment.
On the hour, there was more drama as the visitors broke away to steal the lead and worse was to follow when Craig Insley, whose tackling frequently left the Stockbridge players dramatically falling to the ground, received a second yellow card and was sent off.
Ten minutes later Cowes were awarded a free-kick, thirty yards from goal and Gareth Bricknell stepped up to brilliantly curl his shot around the wall and beyond the substitute keeper for the equaliser.
Lewis Bain, the combative Stockbridge skipper, then received his marching orders for an awful touchline tackle on Mikey Jones and Cowes appeared to gain the initiative, but with five minutes left, the referee ignored their claims for an infringement in midfield and although Chris Norris saved the resulting shot, Simon Nelson slammed in the winner from the rebound. In the dying seconds Cowes were reduced to nine men when Jamie Dyer received a second yellow card.
Cowes Sports: C. Norris, J. Dyer, A. Watson, S. Yelland, C. Insley, A.Bryan, A. Brett, B. Arnold, D. Ross, L. Davies, M. Jones.
Subs: G. Bricknell, C. Thomas, T. Dye, M. Herbert, D. Thurman.
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