Match report: Cowes Sports v Hamworthy

Attendance 130

The Yachtsmen got their League campaign off to a flying start on Saturday, when Hamworthy United, who finished fifth last season, were sent back across the Solent with their tails between their legs.

The home side, with several new faces in their line-up, looked lively from the first whistle and after just eighteen minutes Fin Phillips threaded the ball through to JOHN MCKIE and last season’s top-scorer fired his shot across the keeper and inside the far post.

Twenty minutes later, Fin Phillips provided another through ball and this time, debutant JI NASH, signed from East Cowes Vics, latched onto it to lash a left-footed drive into the top corner.

Ed Hatt, in the home goal, was eventually called on with a sharp save and then just before the break, John McKie almost added a third goal, but his speculative forty yard lob went just wide, with the Hamworthy keeper scrambling to get back.

The half-time whistle came as a relief for the visitors, who had struggled to contain the Yachtsmen’s speedy front line.

The second half continued in the same vein, with Jimmy Wykes’ shot being parried just out of John McKie’s reach.

Hamworthy were beginning to have more of the ball and went close with a couple of headers

and the Cowes defence survived another scare as Conor White sliced a clearance narrowly over the bar, with the resulting corner being headed over.

Ed Hatt then had to make a sharp save from a close range effort, but on seventy-five minutes, at the other end, Jimmy Wykes did brilliantly well to keep the ball alive on the bye line and his cross ball left JI NASH with a simple tap-in to wrap up the points for the Yachtsmen.

Cowes continued to press in the final stages and a great run by Fin Phillips ended with Jimmy Wykes being off-side then Connor Furmidge had a couple of chances saved by the Hamworthy keeper.

So a great start to the season which was warmly applauded by the bumper crowd.

Team:-

Ed Hatt, Conor White, Jimmy Wykes, Callum Chase, Aidan Bryan, Dominic Sexton, John McKie, Ewan Cranwell, Jared Cousins, Fin Phillips, Ji Nash.

Used subs: Gareth Bricknell (Jared Cousins), Connor Furmidge (Ji Nash), Ryan Gardner (Jimmy Wykes).

Unused subs: Jez Conway, Sam Sanders.