Attendance – 38
The latest adventure for the Yachtsmen took them to Victoria Park home of Bournemouth Poppies who were riding high in the table.
Due too road works on the A338 main road into Bournemouth which had up to half an hour delays Cowes Sports asked for a 2.30pm kick off as they had to catch the 10.30am boat to Southampton. Our hosts agreed to this but the League would not allow this to happen making it a very long day for Vic Sanders and his team meaning the return journey would see the 7.30 boat back to the Island, a 9 hour day for the sake of 1 1/2 hours football, and people wonder why players do not like the travelling !!!!
Team news saw James Wykes out following the groin injury suffered at Bemerton last week. He was replaced by Scott McFarlane for his senior debut. Michael McEnery and Jacob Jarvis joined Aarun Ince and Dave Thurman on the bench.
A controversial start to the game saw Bournemouth go one up inside the first minute when RIVER SMITH firing home from 10 yards despite being a couple of yards offside, a fact that even he admitted in front of the Assistant as the teams left the pitch at half time!!! Once again a big decision going against the Yachtsmen. To their credit the Islanders responded well and from the restart Connor Furmidge clipped the ball into the home box where Callum Chase saw his header cannon back of the left hand post before being cleared. Six minutes in and another decision went against Cowes as Jez Conway was fouled in the home penalty area, but Referee Mark Shapland gave a goal kick, thankfully his Assistant at least saw it was a Bournemouth player that had the last touch and flagged for a corner, from the resulting corner Gareth Bricknell saw his goal bound header cleared off the line by a defender straight into his keepers arms. Again it was the Yachtsmen that were on the front foot, Jez Conway played in Gareth Bricknell but his low shot was saved by Samuel Jones in the home goal. Scott McFarlane then sent a free kick into the box and Charlie Allen headed inches wide of target. Home skipper, who was trying to Referee the game, then earned himself a yellow card for a disgraceful tackle on Dom Sexton. Then the killer blow for the Yachtsmen as in the 31st minute a tame shot from the left edge of the Cowes box by ALI ZINTANY somehow found its way into the back of the Cowes net. Not the best point in the game for keeper Ed Hatt. On the stroke of half time Dom Sexton was fouled, but again the Referee waved play on leaving River Smith in on goal, but Ed Hatt redeemed himself as he saved well with his feet to keep the score at 2 – 0 to Bournemouth at the break.
Michael McEnery replaced Connor Furmidge(knee injury) for the second half. Ed Hatt again came to Cowes’ rescue shortly before the hour again saving with his feet to deny Harry Cooper. A couple of substitutions as Bournemouth replaced Manny Ohameje with Charlie Langstone whilst Cowes sent on Aarun Ince for Jez Conway. Ronnie Frost the sent a free kick towards the Cowes goal which saw Ed Hatt produce a great one handed save at the expense of a corner then minutes later River Smith thought he had added a third goal for the hosts but his header was again superbly saved one handed by Ed Hatt. Fifteen minutes from time a quick throw from in front of the dugouts found Scott McFarlane who turned and shot from 35 yards which had the home keeper scrambling across his line to save at his right hand post. Connor White was shown a yellow card for a tackle from behind before the Referee again took centre stage. A free kick from the Cowes left flew across the box, was controlled with his arm buy their forward before he crossed back to the left where RIVER SMITH was on hand to score the hosts third goal, Jack Broomfield was shown yellow for hi protests, another yellow card picked up following a Referee’s mistake, maybe they do it deliberately??? The remaining minutes passed without incident, just three substitutions, Harry Cooper and Stefan Neronski being replaced by Marcus Cullen and Pepe Smith for the home side whilst Jacob Jarvis came on for Dom Sexton for Cowes.
Another game that suggests a poor performance by Cowes but the lack of the killer touch in front of goal cost the Island side dear as did the match Officials. Their were several positives from the match, the number of chances that we created and the individual performance of both centre backs, Aidan Bryan and Charlie Allen, along with Connor White and in particular debutant Scott McFarlane.
Referee:- MARK SHAPLAND Assistants – Billy Buchannan + Chris Sheppard
Team:-
Edward Hatt, Conor White, Dominic Sexton, Aidan Bryan, Charlie Allen, Jack Broomfield, Callum Chase, Scott McFarlane, Jez Conway, Connor Furmidge, Gareth Bricknell (c)
Used Subs: Michael McEnery(Connor Furmidge) 46, Aarun Ince(Jez Conway) 66, Jacob Jarvis(Dominic Sexton) 82
Unused Sub: Dave Thurman g/k