COWES SPORTS RESERVES v Carisbrooke United 20-08-19

Tuesday August 20th – HARWOODS IoW Saturday League Division 1

COWES SPORTS RESERVES 1(1) CARISBROOKE UNITED 1(1)

Referee:- D JUKES

TWO POINTS DROPPED AS RESERVES DRAW AT HOME.

Following their excellent 5 – 1 away victory at West Wight the previous Saturday Cowes Sports Reserves second fixture saw them welcome newly promoted Carisbrooke United to Westwood Park. The visitors had suffered a 1 – 3 home defeat to Ventnor the same day.

Manager, Darren Arnold, named a strong side with almost every player having appeared for the 1st XI at some point.

The young Yachtsmen got off to a great start, carrying on from where they left off against West Wight. A 9th minute Connor Furmidge effort was well blocked by the visitors keeper who also denied Aiden White’s rebound shot. The home side should have taken the lead in the 12th minute when a superb Aarun Ince cross from the left picked out Connor Furmidge, but the latter blasted the ball over the bar from 7 yards. Finally the breakthrough came in the 24th minute. A brilliant through ball by Aarun Ince found CONNOR FURMIDGE running onto before he calmly slotted the ball past the advancing Carisbrooke keeper. The same combination minutes later nearly doubled the lead, but Connor Furmidge fired wide. Thirty three minutes in and Sm Kirby this time set up Connor Furmidge but the latter’s header was saved low down. Out of nothing Carisbrooke found themselves back on level terms on 35 minutes when a free kick into the edge of the box was headed up in the air towards goal, Cowes stopper, Wilf Armfield must have thought the ball was going over the bar as he watched the ball go over his head and to his amazement drop under the bar into the goal. Connor Furmidge became supplier in the 38th minute as he teed up Aedan Coode but his powerful shot flew wide of goal. Minutes before the break Aedan Coode played in Sam Kirby but again the shot whizzed over the bar. So the teams went in for their half time chat all square at 1 apiece somehow!!!

Before the start of the second half Cowes replaced Sam Kirby, Aedan Coode and Connor Furmidge with Darren Williams, James Wright and Callum Taylor. Nothing changed though as Cowes continued to search for the goals that their play deserved. 55 minutes gone an James Wright saw his shot deflected for a corner, 64 minutes, Sam Kirby crossed from the right found Aedan Coode at the far post but he fired wide under challenge from the keeper. Having dominated Cowes were nearly hit by a sucker punch as Mitch Ricketts slipped near his own area giving possession to their centre forward whose shot beat Wilf Armfield but cannoned back to the Cowes keeper off of his right hand post. Normal service was resumed as Connor Furmidge saw his shot pushed over the bar before he too slammed an effort against the left hand post . Aedan Coode then tested their keeper who responded by pushing the ball over the bar. Darren Williams then clipped the ball to the far post but once again Connor Furmidge saw his header go wide. By this point the home side should have been leading by five or six but credit to the visitors they held in their. Five minutes from time and the best chance yet for the home side as Darren Williams was brought down in the box by their keeper who was booked. However the keeper made amends when he superbly saved Darren Williams spot kick as both teams had to settle for a point each.

The Reserves played some great football particularly in the first period but need to take their chances they create, should probably have won this game by double figures.

TEAM:-

Wilfred Armfield, Luke Phillips, Isaac Cruise, Max Draper (c), Mitchell Ricketts, Aiden White, Samuel Kirby, Aedan Coode, Connor Furmidge, Aarun Ince, Max Coshell, Subs; Darren Williams, James Wright, Callum Taylor