DISAPPOINTING SHOW FROM YACHTSMEN IN US PORTSMOUTH DEFEAT

Saturday December 18th            The WESSEX League – Premier Division

UNITED SERVICES PORTSMOUTH  4 (1)  1 (0)  COWES SPORTS

played at The Victory Stadium                   Kick Off – 15:00          Attendance – 33

Referee:- MICHAEL PAINTIN         Assistants – Hassan Rajwani + Kurtis Robinson

Team:- COWES SPORTS – Edward HATT, Max COSHELL (52), Jimmy MUMFORD, Mitchell RICKETTS, Jake WATSON, Scott McFARLANE (52), Finley PHILLIPS (c), Aedan COODE (69), Connor FURMIDGE, John McKIE, Ji NASH

Subs:- Jez CONWAY (52), Conor WHITE (52), George HOLMES (69)

The Yachtsmen travelled to Portsmouth to take ion the Navymen full of confidence following their victory over Alton last week. Just one change to the line up as Aedan Coode came in for the unavailable Jack Barsdell. This game also saw around a dozen supporters travel to the game on their pre Christmas day out to cheer on the team.

A sombre moment before kick off as both sides gathered around the centre circle to observe a minutes applause in memory of MR RICHARD CHASE, father of our own Callum Chase, who sadly lost his life earlier in the week. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go to Callum and his family at this sad time.

Cowes began the game where they left of against Alton the previous week pressing the home side back from the first whistle. Aedan Coode fired just wide in the 2nd minute. A couple minutes later and a superb through ball into Connor Furmidge saw the home keeper off his line quick but not get the ball,  the ball went wide left of the goal and Ji Nash was unable to find a shot on goal. Seventeen minutes in before the hosts had a shot, Floret Vucaj firing wide of goal. On twenty minutes Cowes thought they were taking the lead when and Aedan Coode through ball to John McKie saw the forward in on goal, he clipped the ball past the advancing keeper but roll agonisingly the wrong side of the right hand post. A minute later and Floret Vucaj again shot from distance but an easy save for Ed Hatt. Just past the half hour mark and Connor Furmidge saw his effort blocked. Then on 37 minutes Cowes were hit by a sucker punch when, a corner from the Cowes left saw Ed Hatt push away at the near post, in doing so Max Coshell was injured and after treatment had to go off as is the rule. US Pompey took advantage of the extra man and from the resulting corner FLORET VUCAJ headed the home side into the lead. All of a sudden the game turned and the home side looked confident and a minute before the break when a Simon Woods effort cannoned back of the right post before being cleared.

Just two minutes into the second half and the Yachtsmen found themselves two behind as CAMERON QUIRKE curl a shot around Mitchell Ricketts into the right corner of Ed Hatt’s goal. A sublime finish. In the 52nd minute a third goal as a corner from the right was headed down by Tom Jeffes for SIMON WOODS to head home from close range. At this point Cowes made two changes, Max Coshell and Scott McFarlane being replaced by Jez Conway and Conor White. On 55 minutes a Jez Conway ball to John McKie inside the box saw the strikers shot blocked but the ball found JI NASH who netted from six yards. briefly the visitors were buoyed by being back in the game. Jez Conway fired a shot wide before Ji Nash had a shot parried away by the home keeper and the rebound fired over by Aedan Coode. With twenty minutes remaining Aedan Coode was replaced by George Holmes but Cowes failed to trouble the home home keeper. Cowes should have had the chance for a second goal as John McKie made his way into their area only to be bundled over for what looked a stonewall penalty but amazingly the Referee said no penalty. Ten minutes from time Referee Michael Paintin, having allowed home skipper to get away with several fouls sin binned Jez Conway for something said, Then TOM DINSMORE fired home from the edge of the box to seal a comfortable win and leave Cowes wondering how their inconsistency can be changed.