WESSEX LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2016
COWES SPORTS 4 VERWOOD TOWN 0

Martin Smith and Alex Eaton had to cry off just before we left for IOW. Our injury plague continued.

Two new signings, Terry Branwhite and Ryan Johnson made a bow but we only had two on the bench for this important league game.

It took time for us to settle and almost went behind after five minutes when a cross from Cowes left skipped across the box and was touched wide.

Ryan Kelly chased down a ball in the Cowes back four and won a tussle. A pass wide found Evans overlapping and a deep cross was booted clear.

We pushed up and didn’t have pace to get back to cover a long ball down Cowes right. A free run and shot saw the ball hit the inside of the post and spin into the net putting Cowes ahead. 0-1.

A couple of minutes later Branwhite was stranded when a quick break down the right again resulted in a cross that looped over the box and drifted inches wide of the post.

Cowes were enjoying a purple patch and having the majority of play.

It was half way through the half before we had any decent link up play. Johnson and Dyer worked the ball down the right and Dyer was dropped just outside the box. Dyer took the free kick himself. Ben Kelly got underneath it but put it over the bar.

Johnson then sparkled with good feet moving the ball wide for Foster to cut in and slide the ball across the face of the area. Ryan Kelly was inches away from grabbing an equalizer.

Gilham had settled in an unfamiliar role of wide right and beating his marker chipped an inch perfect pass for Ryan Kelly to pick up and put a great shot just over the angle of bar and post.

A minute left of normal time and a threatened break was stopped in its tracks by a terrific Phelps sliding tackle.

Then a mini catastrophe. 46 minutes and a clearance from Cowes defence slanted over our left flank. A cross and volley made it 0-2 on the whistle.

Half Time 0-2

We started well for a change and Foster Ryan Kelly and Maddocks worked the ball through the middle for Foster to finish the move with a rising shot bringing out a great save from the keeper.

A good piece of football from Cowes split us in the middle and Branwhite raced from goal to save at feet. Unfortunately the ‘feet’ were trapped under Terry Branwhite resulting in a penalty. 0-3.

5 minutes later we had to double sub. Foster came off for Goddard and Gilham came off for Bergin. Yet more injuries to contemplate.

Bergin, although still suffering a slight niggle from a thigh strain last week, was straight into the thick of it. Johnson linked in and swapped passes taking us deep into Cowes third. A cross deep into the six yard box was well read by the keeper and safe hands took the catch.

Phelps and Ben Kelly came under intense pressure as Cowes pushed central. Kelly blocked one run and Phelps won his aerial battles.

Branwhite was having a baptism of fire as Cowes broke through several times testing his capabilities. What should be recorded was a dilemma at the warm up session when Branwhite dislocated a thumb. Heavy strapping enabled him to play.

Branwhite tipped one rising shit over the bar and came through a packed area to gather a dangerous cross.

62 minutes gone and we had the ball in the box following an Evans and Bergin move. Evans finished the interchange with a pass to Goddard and Goddard’s cross for Ryan Kelly was plucked out of the air by a good keeper.

5 minutes left and Anderton came on for Ben Cane.

The game had petered off a bit but Cowes always looked dangerous on the break.

91 minutes and the final nail in the coffin came from yet another lapse of concentration. A simple run through our defence and a simple tap in past Branwhite finished the scoring.

Result 0-4.