Attendance – 142
So the final home fixture of the 18-19 season and nothing but pride too play for having secured our place in next season’s Wessex Premier Division. Lymington Town were the visitors too Westwood Park looking to complete the double over their hosts having won 3 – 2 in the previous game, although somewhat fortunate.
Player/ Manager, John McKie had skipper Gareth Bricknell(holiday) unavailable, Ewan Cranwell and Fin Phillips were also unavailable whilst Connor Furmidge was rested, so in came Callum Chase(returning after holiday) Aedan Coode and Callum Watkins to start the match whilst Jacob Jarvis, Scott McFarlane, Arthur Balchin and Keeper Ben Gearing joined Jack Broomfield on the bench.
Prior to kick off the Supporters ” Player of the Year” was presented with his trophy by Club President, Robin Merryfield and the winner this season was Player/Manager JOHN McKIE by a huge majority. Congratulations to John for winning this award and again being top scorer despite missing several games through injury.
Cowes’ hopes of victory in their final home game of the campaign were dealt an early blow when Referee Callum Waller awarded a soft penalty to the visitors for hand ball against Aiden Bryan, the ball appeared to just bounce up and hit the arm, ball to hand rather than hand to ball, in just the second minute of the game. Experienced ASHLEY JARVIS stepped up to send keeper Ed Hatt the wrong way to net in the third minute. However the Yachtsmen looked up for the challenge and in the 12th minute were back on level terms when centre half Ron Frost lost possession to Callum Chase, just outside the left edge of the Lymington area. The Cowes skipper slid the ball through to JOHN MCKIE who smashed it into the net past 16 year old Lymington keeper Henry Newman at his near post. Buoyed by this Cowes should have taken the lead four minutes later when a Jez Conway corner from in front of the clubhouse picked out unmarked Jimmy Wykes on the six yard line, but he sent his header wide of the right hand upright, a golden chance for the Yachtsmen. For the next twenty minutes play was concentrated in the middle of the park before the visitors Steven Flynn hit the Cowes crossbar with a header from a free kick.
Cowes replaced Dominic Sexton at half time with Jacob Jarvis coming on for the second half. In the 50th minute the home side fell behind again when Ron Frost’s long throw from the far side ended up flicking off Jacob Jarvis’s head and into the net for an OWN GOAL. Jimmy Wykes was then replaced by Arthur Balchin on the hour before Scott McFarlane came on for John McKie for the final 15 minutes as the game petered out to a typical end of season, nothing to play for affair. Cowes did come close to an equaliser five minutes from time when Jez Conway’s free kick from 25 yards looked to be bending in to the keepers top left corner but Henry Newman produced a fantastic save to push the ball away for a corner. So Cowes finished their home programme with defeat, but after the game stayed on the pitch until the visitors had left the pitch before showing their appreciation to the great support they had received throughout the season with the average gate being around 132, the third best supported team in the Premier Division.
Referee:- CALLUM WALLER Assistants – Jamie Saltzer + Andy Jones
Team:-
Edward Hatt, Conor White, Dominic Sexton, Ashley Brett, Aidan Bryan, Jez Conway, Aedan Coode, Callum Chase (c), Callum Watkins, John McKie, Jimmy Wykes
Used Subs:- Jacob Jarvis(Dominic Sexton) 46, Arthur Balchin(Jimmy Wykes) 60, Scott McFarlane(John McKie) 75
Unused Subs: Jack Broomfield + Ben Gearing g/k
