Saturday January 11th HARWOODS ISLE OF WIGHT LEAGUE Division One
COWES SPORTS RESERVES 3(2) WEST WIGHT 0(0)
played at Westwood Park Referee:- DAVE JUKES
YOUNG YACHTSMEN UP TO SECOND WITH COMFORTABLE WIN
Cowes Sports Reserves looked to continue their terrific run with a home game against West Wight whom they had beaten 5 – 1 on the opening day of the season.
New Manager, Steve Mumford, made several changes to the side that had won at Pan Sports the previous weekend. Four 1st XI players came into the side Scott McFarlane, Aiden White, Conor White and Gareth Bricknell, the latter three returning from injury. James Wright dropped to the bench whilst Joe White travelled with the 1st XI. Connor Furmidge(unavailable) and Arthur Balchin were not included in the squad.
Team:-
Fraser Law, Conor White, Aiden White, Jason Ince, Max Coshell (c), Luke Phillips, Aedan Coode, Scott McFarlane, Darren Williams, Gareth Bricknell, Aarun Ince
Subs; James Wright, James Cheek, Daniel Pearson
Cowes Reserves began the game knowing that a ninth win in the last ten games would see them move into second place in the table, although teams below them have games in hand. A cagey start from both teams was broken in the 10th minute when Aarun Ince sped down the Cowes left towards the bye-line before clipping the ball over goalkeeper Ryan Young(son of former Cowes player Manager Dale Young), to GARETH BRICKNELL who had a simple tap in to give the home side the lead. The home side started to dominate the game playing some great football that had seen them climb the table in recent weeks. Twenty five minutes in and Cowes were awarded a free kick three or four yards outside the box slightly tom the left of the of the area. Jason Ince’s free kick clipped the wall and flew inches over the crossbar for a corner. Two minutes later the lead was doubled when Gareth Bricknell fed Aarun Ince out wide, he drilled the ball across the goalmouth where Darren Williams saw his effort hit the woodwork before the ball bobbled around the six yard box, it was not cleared by the visiting defence and AEDAN COODE was on hand to score from a couple of yards. Just past the half hour mark it was nearly three for owes when keeper Ryan Young just beat Aarun Ince to the ball just outside the box, the loose ball fell to Darren Williams some forty yards from goal, he sent the ball back towards the open goal, but West Wight full back Nat Riddett did well to get back and clear the ball off the line and away to safety. Conor White then pushed forward from right back but Ryan Young palmed his shot away. Finally the visitors had a chance of their own on 37 minutes when a free kick was floated into the Cowes area and captain Dan Burgess climbed highest but sent his header past Fraser Laws left hand post. So the home side went into the break with a comfortable two goal advantage, but had to be wary that the visitors would probably play a lot better and cause more problems in the second half.
Any thoughts of West Wight staging a comeback were soon extinguished in the second half as in the 52nd minute a ball into the path of GARETH BRICKNELL saw him run into the box before smashing it into the top left corner of Ryan Young’s goal leaving the former Havant & Waterlooville keeper rooted. Shortly after Steve Mumford made two changes with James Cheek and Daniel Pearson replacing Aiden White and Aedan Coode. West Wight then also made two changes themselves. James Wright came on for Jason Ince in the 65th minute. With twenty minutes left Cowes nearly added a fourth when Daniel Pearson sent Gareth Bricknell in on goal but his shot was saved at the second attempt. Excellent play down the Cowes right in the 75th minute saw Conor White cross to Scott McFarlane whose shot was deflected off a defender and away for a corner. A minute latera great run into the box by Scott McFarlane ended with a shot at goal that Ryan Young could only palm away for a corner. Despite seeing more of the ball the visitors never really created anything that troubled Fraser Law who had quite a quiet afternoon. Thirteen minutes from time Scott McFarlane finally thought he had scored when he smashed the ball into the net from the edge of the area, but unfortunately James Cheek had fouled a defender in the build up and the ‘goal’ was ruled out, much to the amusement of some in the crowd!! With a “roll on roll off” system in operation in the Island League, Cowes brought their three players that had earlier come off, back on, Aedan Coode for Darren Williams, Jason Ince for Aarun Ince and Aiden White for Luke Phillips. One last effort for the home side when Gareth Bricknell’s shot was deflected for a corner as the young Yachtsmen eased their way to the three points without hitting the heights of recent performances.