FOOTBALL Whitchurch Utd 2 Cowes Sports 1
COWES were boosted by the return of cricketer Harry Dye and new signing Brendan Arnold, but still went down to Whitchurch Utd in Division 1 on Monday.
The game got off to a disastrous start for the Islanders when a Whitchurch were awarded a penalty in the fifth minute, after the referee ruled Craig Insley had committed a foul in the box. The spot kick was coolly slotted past Dave Thurman in the Cowes goal.
However, within two minutes, Cowes had drawn level. The ball fell to Aiden BRYAN some 25 yards out and he produced an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner.
Cowes had the best of the half with Lee Davies, Andy Watson and Mikey Jones all shooting just wide of the Whitchurch goal. Dye had a header cleared off the home goal line from a Jamie Dyer corner. Despite the many chances Cowes were unable to add to their total and on the stroke of half time, Cowes needed the assistance of the post to keep the scores level.
The second half was a scrappy affair with neither team able to put a string of passes together, two games in three days seemed to have sapped the energy from the legs of both sides.
In the 63rd minute, Whitchurch took the lead, after a corner.
Cowes tried in vain to find an equaliser, chances squandered by Callum Taylor and Craig Thomas.
Cowes Sports: Thurman, Dyer, Watson, Insley, Yelland, Dye, Davies, Jones, Bryan, Arnold, Thomas. Subs: Draper, Augustus, Taylor.
Cowes Sports 1, Amesbury Town 1
A highly controversial penalty, two minutes from time, dashed the Yachtsmen’s hopes of their first win of the season at Westwood Park on Saturday.
Cowes had a couple of early chances, Jamie Dyer setting up an opening for Aidan Bryan, whose shot was saved at the expense of a corner and then Mikey Jones shot weakly after latching on to a long clearance from Dave Thurman.
More chances came and went for the home side, Kurt Butt ballooning over at the far post and Danny Ross going close from a superb through ball by Craig Thomas.
Cowes continued to press and Butt’s long range pile-driver was brilliantly tipped around the post by the visitors’ keeper and they were denied a clear penalty when Ross was brought down inside the box.
Three minutes into the second half, Cowes finally made the breakthrough. Craig Insley launched a free-kick towards the far post where BRYAN rose to head powerfully into the net.
Lee Davies then sent a dangerous ball across the six-yard line without a decisive touch and at the other end, Thurman had to be alert to tip a looping header around the post.
With five minutes left, Cowes escaped when their defence was caught out by a long ball but Amesbury put the ball wide.
Just when victory seemed assured, the referee stunned Cowes fans when he penalised Sam Yelland for an innocuous challenge on an Amesbury forward and awarded a penalty, which Ben Pulling gleefully despatched into the net to snatch a somewhat fortunate point.
Cowes Sports: Thurman, Dyer, Watson, Yelland, Insley, Davies, Bryan, Butt, Ross, Thomas, Jones. Subs: Augustus, Gulliver, Taylor, Norris.