Saturday February 1st SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE (WESSEX) Premier Division
BOURNEMOUTH 3(3) COWES SPORTS 3(2)
played at Victoria Park Attendance – 39
Referee:- MARTIN BLOOR Assistants: Steve Fall + Declan Skehan
SPORTS BATTLE BACK FOR SHARE OF POINTS
Cowes Sports made the trip to Victoria Park to take on the side one place and three points ahead of them in the table knowing that defeat would seriously hamper their chances of avoiding the drop to Division One.
With George Carter-Knight(operation), Joe White(unavailable) and Tom Dye(bench) missing from the previous starting line up in came Ashley Brett, Gareth Bricknell and Ewan Cranwell for this important fixture. The home side made four changes to their line from the defeat against Bashley in mid week.
Due to problems with their floodlights the game kicked off at 2pm and just two minutes in Cowes Sports should have taken the lead when a superb Fin Phillips cross from the Cowes left picked out James Wykes whose header looked to be going in, but keeper Sam Jones somehow managed to grab the ball with one hand to prevent a goal. Bournemouth then ‘claimed’ they had scored in the eighth minute when a cross from the right was headed towards the Cowes goal by Levi Hernandez, who claimed the ball had crossed the line as Ed Hatt done well to push the ball away. Officials ruled ‘no goal’ but Gareth Bricknell later said the ball was well over the line. Wow a decision going Cowes’ way for a change. However it was not much longer before the home side did take the lead. A sixteenth minute cross from the left found JACK VOISEY who tapped the ball past Ed Hatt from close range. Worse was to follow for the Yachtsmen just three minutes later when an innocuous ball through the middle caught Cowes napping and CONNOR JEVONS passed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal to double the home sides advantage. Cowes responded but Ji Nash saw his shot blocked on the line by a defender before the keeper dived on the loose ball in the 28th minute. A minute later and a lifeline for the Island side when James Wykes slid a ball inside their right back for JI NASH to thump the ball into the net. Hope for the visitors evaporated within two minutes as the Poppies restored their two goal lead when another cross from the Cowes left found JACK VOISEY to head home from 6 yards. Shortly before half time Fin Phillips played Jared Wetherick in, but his shot took a deflection which was enough to take it out for a corner, from which Ashley Brett saw his header cannon off the top of the crossbar. A minute before the break Ewan Cranwell’s cross from the right hit the arm of Rafael Santos in the area and Referee Martin Bloor immediately pointed to the spot for a penalty. EWAN CRANWELL stepped up to send Sam Jones the wrong way to net a second goal for Cowes and give them hope and set up a very interesting second half.
Bournemouth started the second half brightly and Edgar Zanin saw his effort saved by the Cowes stopper. In the 49th minute Cowes won a corner which Gareth Bricknell took short to Ji Nash near the left touchline. A superb cross picked out skipper ASHLEY BRETT who headed home from six yards to equalise. Two minutes later and the Islanders were dreaming of victory when James Wykes was put through one on one with their keeper. However the Cowes forward saw his shot somehow deflected wide for a corner by the home number one. Aedan Coode replaced Michael McEnery and on 68 minutes the substitute saw his cross cum shot fly inches wide of the right hand post. Gareth Bricknell then sent a free kick into the danger area that evaded everyone before sliding past the outside of the left hand upright. Connor Furmidge came on for Ji Nash for the last 15 minutes but neither side could create or take a match winning chance, so both sides had to settle for a point that does not really help either side.