Sydenhams Wessex League

Winchester City 2 Cowes Sports 1

City’s scored their sixth consecutive single goal Sydenhams Wessex League victory, their third successive 2-1 scoreline and still a goal short of 100 for the league season. Three more victories from their remaining five matches now to ensure being crowned Wessex League champions, only three more points to be assured of at least runners up spot.

Manager Steve Tate must extend his run of unbeaten league matches from 23 after this fixture for City to be in the silverware this season. Following the midweek victory over Lymington there were changes to the City side. Tate moved Mat Jones to right back, Mark Jones returning from injury for his captain and central defensive role. Stewart Lang replaced Mat Davies for his first start for City for eleven weeks. What an impact skipper Jones and Lang were to have. Davies found himself on the bench along with Peter Smith and the returning Shaun Dyke.

The game itself was spoiled by a swirling wind that saw both sides finding keeping the ball difficult. A strange opening couple of minutes for City saw them not settle and perhaps fortunate not to have conceded. On sixteen minutes Liam Greens free kick into Ian Mancey saw the City striker lay the ball into the path of Lloyd Webber, but Webber shot wide of the target. With City playing against the main direction of the wind in the opening half, a minute later City were behind. A corner from the right wing from Adam Barsdell found Matt Bowler at the far post to send a header beyond David Hook and out the Islanders ahead.

City still had the better of the chances of the opening half although not really worrying visiting goalkeeper Richard Newbery. Immediately after the Cowes strike Matthew Bicknell delivered an expertly flighted cross into the area which was just missed by Jamie Musselwhite. Late on in the half Webber broke down the right flank and his cross was also turned wide by Musselwhite. On the stroke of half time a Green floated cross was headed just the wrong side of the upright by Mat Jones.

Tate made changes at the interval Dyke and Smith were thrust into the action at the expense of Mat Jones and Green. Six minutes into the second period as City were taking advantage of the wind in their favour, Webber volleyed just wide of the target.

As City were trying to increase the pressure they finally grabbed an equaliser on fifty-five minutes. Christer Warren delivered a right wing corner that was helped on by Webber and Mark Jones headed home his seventh goal of the season.

Dyke was creating space on the right flank and three times from Dyke deliveries in the next twenty minutes City were close to taking the lead. Three minutes following the goal Dykes corner eluded everybody in the box but Smith fired wide at the far post. Sixty five minutes Dykes corner fell for Mark Jones to fire over then four minutes later another Dyke cross saw Musselwhite have a header blocked but Smith smashed the rebound wide.

As appears to be the course at the moment, Cowes brought themselves two chances as the game was petering out and could have snatched a winner. With nine minutes remaining Hook was at full stretch to turn away a strike from Simon Butler then three minutes later Hook was at the feet of Mark Augustus to get a good hand on the ball to deny the substitute an attempt on goal.

There was only four minutes remaining when City struck their dramatic late winner. A cross into the area from Warren saw Lang appear behind the Cowes defence to fire home from close range for his first Wessex League goal of the season, his second in all competitions, much to the delight of the City faithful behind the clubhouse end goal.

Winchester : Hook, Mat Jones (Dyke 45), Bicknell, Mark Jones, Lang, Warren, Webber, Wakefield, Mancey (Mealey 90), Musselwhite, Green (Smith 45) Unused subs Davies and Chapman

Cowes : Newbery, Butt, Pointer, Bowler, Bryan (Williams 64), White, Elliott (Augustus 73), Barsdell, Powell, McDonald (Moyce 73), Butler