Cowes Sports FC

The late withdrawal of Alex Harvey, due to illness, gave Ross Lacey an unexpected start for the away match at former Southern League side Winchester City.

The Yachtsmen got of to a perfect start when, after just 4 minutes Ross Lacey’s chipped cross from the left was met by Jamie DYER’S sweetly struck volley from eight yards into the keeper’s left hand corner, silencing the home crowd.

Mikey Jones saw his shot saved mid-way through the half before a combination of Martin McDonough and Chris Norris denied the home side minutes before the break.

Winchester nearly levelled 5 minutes after the interval when Awuah’s header was saved by keeper Chris Norris, but he was beaten two minutes later, when a free kick from the Cowes right was headed back across goal by Guy Butters for Billy PUCKETT to fire home.

The Denplan side were then camped in the Cowes half, but some heroic defending and another couple of excellent blocks by Norris kept the home side at bay to earn a deserved share of the points.

Team; C. Norris, J. Murray, A. Watson,

M. McDonough, S. Sampson,

G. Bricknell(capt), J. Dyer, H. Dye, R. Lacey, M. Jones, M. Draper.

Subs; L. Davies, S. Yelland, J. Collins.

M. Young + D. Thurman not used.

Cowes’ hopes of a first home League win, were dashed by a remarkable come-back from the lively visitors.

Cowes opened the scoring after fifteen minutes, as Joe Butcher’s through ball found Mikey Jones, who coolly slid the ball under the keeper’s body.

Just two minutes later Jones turned provider, robbing the keeper on the edge of the box before laying the ball across the six-yard line, where Alex Harvey side-footed home for number two.

The Alresford skipper was fortunate to escape with just a booking, when a two-footed tackle left Andy Watson in a heap, but as the half progressed, the visitors fought back and reduced the arrears on forty minutes, Kieron Gallagher firing home on forty minutes.

Max Draper almost restored the two goal margin on the stroke of half-time, but his cross was just palmed onto the crossbar by the Alresford keeper.

Just two minutes into the second half, Alresford drew level, Daniel Barber cutting in to score with a fine goal.

On fifty-five minutes, the visitors completed their come-back, when Jason Graham headed powerfully into the net from a right wing corner.

Alresford could easily have stretched their lead, only to be foiled by two saves from Chris Norris, but when Mikey Jones broke through at the other end, he was unable to repeat his first-half success, that would have salvaged a point for the unfortunate Yachtsmen.

The Yachtsmen flattered to deceive again at Westwood on Saturday, as Winchester City stormed back from a two goal deficit, to hand Cowes their seventh home League defeat of the season.

Cowes made the perfect start after two minutes, when Tom Dye’s cross eluded everyone, except Lee Davies, whose shot went in off of the keeper.

On twenty minutes Craig Thomas doubled the home side’s lead, swivelling on the penalty spot before lashing a left-footer into the far corner.

So far this season, a two-goal cushion has not guaranteed success for the Cowes youngsters and so it proved again as almost immediately the visitors hit back through Zac Glasspool and five minutes later they were level, Ian Davies surging through to beat Chris Norris.

Incredibly, Winchester took the lead after thirty-five minutes, Sol Asajile, one of two new signings from Spurs, guiding his shot wide of Norris, but just inside the far post.

Cowes worked hard to retrieve the situation by half-time and Max Draper went closest, his effort being deflected inches wide.

With Guy Butters, the ex Spurs and Pompey centre-back, mopping everything up at the back, the visitors continued to dominate and Cowes had Chris Norris to thank for saving them after a defensive mix-up a then Glasspool’s free-kick came back off of the crossbar, so their fourth goal, on fifty-six minutes came as no surprise, Nathan Lynch’s shot squirming in under Norris’s dive.

When Gareth Bricknell headed in Mark Augustus’s injury-time cross to reduce the arrears, it served only to make the score-line a little more respectable and this latest defeat leaves the Yachtsmen three points adrift at the foot of the table, with the prospect of the visit of League leaders, Bournemouth to Westwood on Saturday afternoon.

Match report: Pete Jeffrey

A disputed 92nd minute Brockenhurst penalty sent Cowes to the foot of the table and stopped them gaining their first home League win of the season on Saturday.

There was goalmouth action at both ends during an even first half, Craig Thomas having a couple of decent chances for Cowes, but it was the visitors who had the more clear cut opportunities, Sam Carter being denied by the crossbar and Dave Thurman, deputising in goal for the indisposed Chris Norris, keeping Cowes on level terms.

Five minutes into the second half the Yachtsmen stole the lead when Jamie Dyer and Mikey Jones combined to set up Alex Harvey, whose deft touch crept just inside the post.

Dave Thurman continued to thwart Brockenhurst’s efforts to equalise, with a string of fine saves and at the other end Mikey Jones looked certain to score, but at the crucial moment, he lost control of the ball with only the keeper to beat.

Just when a rare Cowes home win looked assured, Brockenhurst were thrown a lifeline by the referee, who awarded them an injury-time penalty for an infringement inside the box and Dave Wakefield stepped up to blast home his side’s equaliser.

Cowes slipped to their tenth League defeat of the season in a bad tempered game at Westwood on Tuesday evening.

Romsey’s Tom Barge set the pattern in the second minute, being booked for a crude challenge and the Referee got his cards out at regular intervals throughout the game.

The visitors were to quick for the Cowes defence, but almost half an hour had passed before they opened the scoring, Ryan Long stabbing home from close range.

Gareth Bricknell then rattled the Romsey crossbar from long range but Cowes fell further behind on the stroke of half-time. With the linesman flagging for off-side, the Referee awarded Romsey a free-kick, twenty-five yards out and Gary Fulker flighted his shot over the wall and beyond Chris Norris’s despairing dive.

Five minutes into the second half Romsey scored again when a long clearance from their goalkeeper found Paddy James on the edge of the box and he beat the advancing Norris from ten yards.

Tempers flared as the tackles flew in and Romsey’s Darren Curtis was shown a straight red for a bad challenge on Mark Augustus.

With the numerical advantage, Cowes battled in vain to gain a foothold but with time nearly up, substitute Mikey Jones received his marching orders for pulling back a Romsey forward on the edge of the box and Gary Fulker was again able to beat Chris Norris with another superb free-kick to complete the home side’s misery.

Match report by Pete Jeffrey

Cowes made the worst possible start against Blackfield & Langley at Westwood on Saturday, conceding two goals in the opening four minutes.

A throw-in from the right touch-line had the home defence hesitating and Mike Newman nipped in to head home.

Jamie Dyer thought he had equalised straight from the kick-off, but he had strayed off-side and in their next attack, the visitors doubled their lead, Newman scoring again after a goal-mouth scramble.

Cowes knuckled down to their task, but were restricted to a number of long-range shots from Tom Dye, until on the stroke of half-time, his brother, Harry tried his luck from distance and forced a corner, which Jamie Dyer whipped in for Lee Davies to score emphatically from close range.

Ten minutes into the second half, Cowes levelled the scores when, following a throw-in, the ball bobbled around the box until Alex Harvey forced it over the line, much to the annoyance of the Blackfield defence, who appealed in vain for a handball.

Midway through the half Blackfield regained the lead, Mike Durdey running through unchallenged, before firing in a shot which Chris Norris parried, but could not prevent dropping in under the bar.

Blackfield’s fourth was a comedy of errors as Charlie Allen’s back-pass foced Chris Norris into a sliced clearance and when the resulting cross came in, Mike Newman had a simple tap-in to complete the scoring and his own personal hat-trick.

Match report by Pete Jeffrey

The Cowes youngsters were well beaten by a strong and experienced Wimborne side, who cantered to an emphatic victory at Westwood on Saturday.

The writing was on the wall as early as the thirteenth minute, when a corner was nodded back in for Tom Clarke, who had a simple tap-in, to open the scoring.

Alex Harvey had a decent chance on the half-hour, but was unable to get the ball from under his feet and could only get in a weak shot, which was easily saved.

Cowes defended well for the remainder of the half, but on forty minutes, they fell further behind. Chris Norris palmed away a left-wing cross, but it fell perfectly for Liam Green, who rifled home from twelve yards.

On the hour, a ball across the Cowes six-yard line eluded Chris Norris and James Stokoe was on hand to knock in number three.

Alex Harvey was unlucky, when his cross bounced onto the crossbar and then, when Harry Dye had played him in behind the Wimborne defensive line, his scuffed shot was easily collected by the keeper.

A fourth goal looked likely, but Lee Davies got in the way of a shot on the goal-line and the ball bounced kindly into the arms of Chris Norris. This only delayed the inevitable however, as Steve Witcher ran on to a knock-back to complete the scoring.

Wimborne still had time to create another chance, but this time the shot went wide of the open goal.

This latest defeat left Cowes perilously close to the foot of the table and they desperately need a win at home to Blackfield & Langley on Saturday to halt their slide.

Match report by Pete Jeffrey

After a promising first half, Cowes fell away to suffer their first pre-season defeat at the hands of ASSC Hamble at Westwood on Friday night.

Dave Thurman was called into action with a couple of early saves and then at the other end Craig Thomas saw his shot blocked by the keeper’s legs.

Further chances came the way of the home side, Lee Davies going closest with a header from Tom Dye’s free-kick.

After the break Mark Augustus saw a header cleared off the line and Dave Thurman made another good save, but he was beaten after 55 minutes, when a through ball was converted by a Hamble forward.

The visitors’ keeper was in fine form with several decent stops and Hamble soon doubled their lead when a header looped over Thurman, who was caught flat-footed.

The unfortunate Cowes keeper was punished again as he spilled a long shot and was unable to prevent Hamble from stretching their lead still further, from the rebound.

Cowes could so easily have got something out of the game however, had it not been for the Hamble keeper and he thwarted them yet again at the death, when he palmed aside a fierce free-kick, from the impressive Gareth Bricknell, that looked a goal all the way.

Match report by Pete Jeffrey

Newly promoted Blackfield were far too strong in attack for the Yachtsmen on Tuesday evening. Their front two pairing of Fouhad Hamadou and Ousmane Drame were a constant threat to the Cowes defence, who deserve credit for keeping the margin of victory down to three.

Cowes were handicapped as early as the tenth minute, when they lost Tom Dye to injury and almost immediately they were lucky to stay level as the home side hit the post.

After thirty-five minutes of pressure, Cowes went behind, Michael Burden coolly flighting the ball out of Chris Norris’s reach from the edge of the box.

Up front, Cowes created precious few chances of their own, Max Draper going closest with a header from a rare corner.

The home side continued to create chances after the break, but were unable to capitalise, but Draper had a couple of chances at the other end, heading wide from another corner and, after breaking through the middle, his toe-poked effort past the keeper went agonisingly wide of the post.

Hamadou was far more clinical when he broke through on the hour, shooting past Norris and just inside the far post to double Blackfield’s advantage.

Gareth Bricknell and Scott Sampson were both booked, when a skirmish developed after the former appeared to be head-butted off the ball. The Blackfield man escaped without a caution.

Eventually, Cowes began to make some inroads on the Blackfield defence, with Joe Butcher prominent on the left wing, but to no avail and the home side wrapped up the points in injury time, Ousmane Drame outpacing the weary Cowes back line and lashing in number three from eighteen yards.

Match report by Pete Jeffrey

The Yachtsmen slipped out of the FA Cup at New Milton on Saturday, but, though well beaten, they were far from being disgraced against their impressive and experienced opponents.

New Milton took the initiative after just three minutes, when Cowes failed to clear a right-wing cross and Simon Quirk headed home.

The home side were only able to create two more half chances before the break and timely interceptions by Martin McDonough and Harry Dye kept them out.

At the other end however, Cowes responded well, Alex Harvey and Harry Dye both going close on two occasions, while a cross from Max Draper had the New Milton keeper struggling, but the ball bounced agonisingly along the crossbar before being cleared.

The home side increased their lead soon after the restart. Cowes were penalised on the edge of the box and Chris Norris was left grasping thin air by Stuart Kenna’s unstoppable free-kick.

On the hour, Cowes conceded again, but immediately hit back themselves, Max Draper bundling in Joe Butcher’s corner from close range.

New Milton then resisted a spirited fifteen minutes of Cowes pressure and restored their three goal advantage in injury time, Mark Lilley converting a pull-back from the by-line.

Match report by Pete Jeffrey