Saturday 10th March
Sydenhams Wessex League
Cowes Sports 0 Winchester City 1
City just about done enough to get three points from this Friday night fixture at Cowes to return to the top of the Sydenhams Wessex League table even if it is just for twenty four hours, though still having a game in hand over nearest challengers Thatcham Town.
With strikers Ian Mancey and Richard Mealey both suspended, Paul Nelson was handed a start in the side along with the returning from injury of Jamie Musselwhite. Though both toiled for the evening, very little in way of goalscoring opportunities fell their way.
The game opened quite brightly with Cowes Sports Paul White firing just wide following a corner on six minutes. Five minutes later a good header by Mat Jones from a Shaun Dyke free kick was saved well by home goalkeeper Richard Newbery. On thirteen minutes following another Dyke delivery into the box, Newbery palmed the ball away, Pete Smith gliding the loose ball across the face of goal that avoided everybody. Two minutes later Nelson turned his defender then angled a shot just wide of the upright.
From that moment the rest of the first half just turned into a dour midfield struggle with neither side managing to take control of the game.
Ten minutes into the second period, Dyke who had been kept mostly quiet for the evening by Cowes defender Simon Butler, finally got beyond his man and swept the ball into the area that Nelson left for Musselwhite but the short of match fitness striker only managed to fire high over the bar.
On sixty-two minutes the home side that were growing in stature as the game progressed were unfortunate when a whipped cross into the area was taken off the foot of Charlie Smeaton by David Hook. Smeaton was starting to cause concern for City on the Cowes right flank.
As play immediately switched to the opposite end, Musselwhite headed a Smith cross over the bar. City finally scored what proved to be the only goal of the game on sixty-six minutes. Liam Green produced a left footed cross from the right flank following a short free kick which Mat Jones rose to head home via the underside of the cross bar. There were still several nervous moments though for City to ponder for the rest of the evening.
Two minutes following the City goal a searching long free kick from Cowes’ James Butt took a nasty deflection that made Hook make the save. Shortly afterwards a long-range effort from Darren Powell was just off target. Powell was again the target man nine minutes later watching his shot this time clawed away by Hook.
As the game entered the closing stages, Smeaton curled a shot from the edge of the box but just wide of the target. City sprung an attack with three minutes remaining, with Cowes not fully able to clear their lines. Mark Jones hoisted the ball back over his head into the Cowes box, where substitute Ben Kneller managed to get his foot under the ball and lob over goalkeeper Newbery’s advancing body but also just over the bar. A minute later and Dyke broke clear of the Cowes defence and appeared to have done everything right but although his low shot beat keeper Newbery but went just the wrong side of the upright.
The drama for City continued into the final minute. Smeaton raced clear although looking suspiciously offside, of a static City defence. Smith the recovering City defender clipped the heels of Smeaton and referee Mr Thomson awarded the home side a spot kick. Delight amongst the home support in the crowd of 161 matched by the agony shown on the faces of City followers. Cowes substitute Chris Elliott sent his spot kick to Hooks right to which the City keeper was alert and managed to push the spot kick away, having to make a double save from the onrushing Smeaton and keep the City goal in tact and finally earn them the three points.
Cowes Sports : Newbery, Gifford, Butler, Butt, Bowler, P White (McDonald), Smeaton, J White, Powell, Pointer (Day 82), Hart (Elliott 79) Unused subs Quarmby, Augustus
Winchester : Hook, Buckman, Bicknell, Mat Jones, Mark Jones, Webber, Dyke, Smith, Nelson (Kneller64), Musselwhite, Green Unused subs Davies, Vavrecka, Wakefield and Zawadski
Cowes Sports 0 Winchester City 1
City just about done enough to get three points from this Friday night fixture at Cowes to return to the top of the Sydenhams Wessex League table even if it is just for twenty four hours, though still having a game in hand over nearest challengers Thatcham Town.
With strikers Ian Mancey and Richard Mealey both suspended, Paul Nelson was handed a start in the side along with the returning from injury of Jamie Musselwhite. Though both toiled for the evening, very little in way of goalscoring opportunities fell their way.
The game opened quite brightly with Cowes Sports Paul White firing just wide following a corner on six minutes. Five minutes later a good header by Mat Jones from a Shaun Dyke free kick was saved well by home goalkeeper Richard Newbery. On thirteen minutes following another Dyke delivery into the box, Newbery palmed the ball away, Pete Smith gliding the loose ball across the face of goal that avoided everybody. Two minutes later Nelson turned his defender then angled a shot just wide of the upright.
From that moment the rest of the first half just turned into a dour midfield struggle with neither side managing to take control of the game.
Ten minutes into the second period, Dyke who had been kept mostly quiet for the evening by Cowes defender Simon Butler, finally got beyond his man and swept the ball into the area that Nelson left for Musselwhite but the short of match fitness striker only managed to fire high over the bar.
On sixty-two minutes the home side that were growing in stature as the game progressed were unfortunate when a whipped cross into the area was taken off the foot of Charlie Smeaton by David Hook. Smeaton was starting to cause concern for City on the Cowes right flank.
As play immediately switched to the opposite end, Musselwhite headed a Smith cross over the bar. City finally scored what proved to be the only goal of the game on sixty-six minutes. Liam Green produced a left footed cross from the right flank following a short free kick which Mat Jones rose to head home via the underside of the cross bar. There were still several nervous moments though for City to ponder for the rest of the evening.
Two minutes following the City goal a searching long free kick from Cowes’ James Butt took a nasty deflection that made Hook make the save. Shortly afterwards a long-range effort from Darren Powell was just off target. Powell was again the target man nine minutes later watching his shot this time clawed away by Hook.
As the game entered the closing stages, Smeaton curled a shot from the edge of the box but just wide of the target. City sprung an attack with three minutes remaining, with Cowes not fully able to clear their lines. Mark Jones hoisted the ball back over his head into the Cowes box, where substitute Ben Kneller managed to get his foot under the ball and lob over goalkeeper Newbery’s advancing body but also just over the bar. A minute later and Dyke broke clear of the Cowes defence and appeared to have done everything right but although his low shot beat keeper Newbery but went just the wrong side of the upright.
The drama for City continued into the final minute. Smeaton raced clear although looking suspiciously offside, of a static City defence. Smith the recovering City defender clipped the heels of Smeaton and referee Mr Thomson awarded the home side a spot kick. Delight amongst the home support in the crowd of 161 matched by the agony shown on the faces of City followers. Cowes substitute Chris Elliott sent his spot kick to Hooks right to which the City keeper was alert and managed to push the spot kick away, having to make a double save from the onrushing Smeaton and keep the City goal in tact and finally earn them the three points.
Cowes Sports : Newbery, Gifford, Butler, Butt, Bowler, P White (McDonald), Smeaton, J White, Powell, Pointer (Day 82), Hart (Elliott 79) Unused subs Quarmby, Augustus
Winchester : Hook, Buckman, Bicknell, Mat Jones, Mark Jones, Webber, Dyke, Smith, Nelson (Kneller64), Musselwhite, Green Unused subs Davies, Vavrecka, Wakefield and Zawadski
Document last updated: 08/06/2007
