Winchester City 1 Cowes Sports 1
It was a highly unusual below par performance from City at the Denplan City Ground on Saturday. Still missing several players through injury and suspension City would pride themselves on still having enough quality to produce quality performances. Saturday though might have seen City reach the limit.
Martin Beck was giving his debut on his return to City from Eastleigh, but although the diminutive striker showed some neat footwork at times, Beck received a knock just before the interval but although returning for the second period only lasted ten minutes before retiring. Although having the majority of the possession this hard working Cowes Sports side battled for every ball. They were more resilient then when they appeared in Winchester a month ago in the Hampshire Senior Cup when they conceded four goals in a brief flurry having defended well for the majority of the match. There was no repeat.
City did not find their way through the Cowes Sports rearguard that often. Indeed unusually the visiting goalkeeper Gary Streeter had a relatively quiet afternoon.
Starting brightly City went on the attack but the warning signs were there very early as Cowes Sports countered and Mark Burrows and Ollie Buckett both spurned good chances for the visitors in the first quarter of an hour.
Beck had a shot deflected for a corner before City went ahead after thirty-one minutes. Liam Green laid the ball across the face of the area for Kevin Brewster to take his time before planting a rising drive past Streeter. City thought that more goals would soon follow. Michael Dean shot wide soon after the goal but the impetus of the goal soon fizzled out.
The equaliser arrived after sixty-three minutes, a fine angled drive by Darren Powell went beyond Joe McCormack and Cowes had deservedly equalised. Brewster almost immediately restored City’s lead but being more adventurous as the game progressed it was McCormack who kept City on level terms clawing the ball away off the foot of Richie Woodburn.
City threw David Goss off the substitutes bench into the unfamiliar role of striker for the final ten minutes, but Cowes remained resolute. Liam Gearing wasted a good chance with minutes remaining but the last word fell with Cowes when Andy Rayner sent in a dipping shot from twenty five yards that just went over the bar.
City : McCormack, Dyke, Bicknell, Hall, Lang, Blake, Brewster (Goss 81), L Green, Rogers, Beck (Gearing 57), Dean (Webber 68)
It was a highly unusual below par performance from City at the Denplan City Ground on Saturday. Still missing several players through injury and suspension City would pride themselves on still having enough quality to produce quality performances. Saturday though might have seen City reach the limit.
Martin Beck was giving his debut on his return to City from Eastleigh, but although the diminutive striker showed some neat footwork at times, Beck received a knock just before the interval but although returning for the second period only lasted ten minutes before retiring. Although having the majority of the possession this hard working Cowes Sports side battled for every ball. They were more resilient then when they appeared in Winchester a month ago in the Hampshire Senior Cup when they conceded four goals in a brief flurry having defended well for the majority of the match. There was no repeat.
City did not find their way through the Cowes Sports rearguard that often. Indeed unusually the visiting goalkeeper Gary Streeter had a relatively quiet afternoon.
Starting brightly City went on the attack but the warning signs were there very early as Cowes Sports countered and Mark Burrows and Ollie Buckett both spurned good chances for the visitors in the first quarter of an hour.
Beck had a shot deflected for a corner before City went ahead after thirty-one minutes. Liam Green laid the ball across the face of the area for Kevin Brewster to take his time before planting a rising drive past Streeter. City thought that more goals would soon follow. Michael Dean shot wide soon after the goal but the impetus of the goal soon fizzled out.
The equaliser arrived after sixty-three minutes, a fine angled drive by Darren Powell went beyond Joe McCormack and Cowes had deservedly equalised. Brewster almost immediately restored City’s lead but being more adventurous as the game progressed it was McCormack who kept City on level terms clawing the ball away off the foot of Richie Woodburn.
City threw David Goss off the substitutes bench into the unfamiliar role of striker for the final ten minutes, but Cowes remained resolute. Liam Gearing wasted a good chance with minutes remaining but the last word fell with Cowes when Andy Rayner sent in a dipping shot from twenty five yards that just went over the bar.
City : McCormack, Dyke, Bicknell, Hall, Lang, Blake, Brewster (Goss 81), L Green, Rogers, Beck (Gearing 57), Dean (Webber 68)
Document last updated: 07/06/2007
